Pad Kra Pao Kai ต้มข่าไก่ Chicken Stir Fried with Holy Basil

Pad Kra Pao is probably Thailand's most popular street food.  Meaning "stir fry with holy basil" in Thai, it can be made with any protein.  Here I am showing the version with chicken (thus the "kai" on the end, meaning chicken).  This is a lovely and very simple dish that can come together in about half an hour or even less.  I love to have it for lunch when I'm busy and don't feel like cooking for very long.

Ingredients for Pad Kra Pao (serves 1)

for the sauce-

• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 dash dark soy
• 1 tsbp dark sweet soy
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce

other ingredients-

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 thai chili, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 handful holy basil leaves
• about 1/2 kilo chicken, cubed (I used 3 deboned thigh)
• 1 egg 

 Let's start!

First, mince garlic, shallot, and chili finely.  Then fry the egg and set aside.  Now in some oil, fry the shallot, garlic, and chili until fragrant and golden.

 Next add in the chicken pieces and fry till the chicken browns somewhat.

Now add in the sauce.

Now cook untill the sauce is reduced to a nice thick coating, then add in the basil and stir fry until it's nicely wilted.  Serve with the fried egg on top with steamed rice.  Aroy mak mak!

Ayam Panggang Sulawesi - Sulawesi Style Roast/Grilled Chicken and Basil

The food from the northern parts of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi (formerly Celebes) is the result of a very interesting mixture of cultures.  Local flavors mixed heavily with those brought by colonizing forces from Portugal, Spain, and the Netherlands.  In this unusual region, the majority of the population is Christian rather than Muslim.  This delicious, mouthwatering roasted chicken dish is a beautiful example of food from Manado, the capital of the Northern Sulawesi province.  Originating with the Minahasan people who live in the area, this dish has a unique flavor that will have you gasping for more!

Ayam panggang Sulawesi recipe (serves 1-2)

for the rempah (paste-to be blended in a food processor)

• 6 shallots
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 inch piece of turmeric root, peeled
• 1 inch ginger, peeled
• 1 inch galangal, peeled
• 4 candlenuts
• 4 birdseye chillis

other ingredients

• 1/2 chicken or equivalent amount of other pieces.  I like to use 3 thighs and 3 drumsticks
• 1 bunch of lemon basil (it's ok to substitute with a different kind if you can't find lemon basil)
• 2 lemongrass stalks, white part only, bashed
• 6 kaffir lime leaves
• 200 ml coconut milk
• salt to taste

Let's go!  First, blend all the spices together under the list titled "rempah."  Then heat some oil in a wok.  Add in the paste and fry until fragrant and the oil separates.

Next add in the coconut milk along with all other inredients except the chicken pieces. 

Heat till coconut milk is simmering, then add chicken.  Let simmer in the sauce for 30-40 minutes, stirring to keep from burning occasionally.  Now preheat the grill or preheat oven to 200˚c.

 

 When done, take the chicken pieces out of the sauce and place in the oven or on the grill.  On the grill, cook for about 5 minutes on both sides or until you get some nice dark grill lines.  Leave in the oven for 10-15 minutes on each side.  While the chicken cooks, allow the remaining sauce to reduce.  Now, remove the lime leaves and lemongrass grom your reserved sauce.  Plate the chicken pieces and pour the sauce overtop.  Serve with lots of plain rice.  Enjoy!!

Soto Ayam

SS

Soto ayam is a delicious Indonesian chicken soup.  Flavored with lots of strong spices and colored yellow with turmeric, this hearty soup is my favorite to serve on cold days when you are feeling a little sick!  In Indonesia this is always thought of as a family dish where people gather with those they love to share a large bowl of soto broth.

Soto ayam recipe

for the spice paste, ground in mortar/pestle or a food processor

• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 inch ginger
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp white peppercorn powder

For the broth

• 3 liters stock
• 1 large onion, minced
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise
• 1 daun salam or bay leaf
• 6 cloves

The rest

• 1.5 kilos chicken (I use thighs)
•  oil for frying
• Rice vermicelli, cooked for a few minutes in boiling water and strained

Let's go!  First, sautee the ingrediants for the broth (sans stock of course) until the onions are rosy.

Next, add in the chicken pieces and the spice paste and stir fry for 1-2 minutes.  Then pour in the stock.

Now, let simmer for about 30 minutes.  Remove the chicken and shred. 

Place the noodles in a bowl, cover with the chicken, then pour the broth overtop.  Serve with chopped spring onion, coriander, lime wedge, and hardboiled egg.  Enjoy!

Semur Ayam

Semur is a very popular type of stew originating in Java.  It is a wonderful and hearty example of Javanese cuisine.  It uses the famous Indonesian sweet soy sauce, "kecap manis," as the main flavoring.  It's traditionally made with beef or buffalo meat, but as I don't like beef I will be sharing what's called semur ayam (chicken semur).  This is a lovely dish to serve for lunch and can stand easily on its own.  It is a very nice example of how simple and delicious Javanese cuisine can be.  I love to make this if I am feeling sick, like many do with chicken soup in the West.

Semur Ayam recipe (serves 2)

for the rempah-

• 3 shallots
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 inch peeld ginger

Other ingredients

• 2 pinches ground nutmeg
• 2 pinches ground white peppercorn
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1-2 tsp salt
• 500 ml water
• 1 large potato, peeled and chunked
• 1/2 kilo chicken
• 1 lemongrass, white part only, bruised
• 50 ml kecap manis

First, pound the garlic, shallot, and ginger together in a mortar and pestle or blend in a food processor.

Next, heat a little oil in a large wok.  When hot, add the blended shallot/ginger/garlic paste and fry for several minutes.  Next throw in the chicken and fry until they are no longer pink.  

Now pour in the water and all the other ingredients.

Simmer on medium-low heat uncovered for half an hour, then serve immediately.  Enjoy!!

Kari Ayam

Welcome to the kampung!  I'm so happy to be here sharing my love for food.  I want to start by introducing what Indonesian people call Kari.  Indonesia has a very special and unique way of making curry that is different from the Indian, Thai, Chinese, and all other versions.  The Indonesian curry is thought to have come from Indian influence adapted to suit local tastes and include local ingredients.  This dish, kari ayam ("curry chicken"), is a very popular today in Indonesia.  It is very common for all Indonesian people from businessmen to farmers, so it is fitting that I cook it often in my "kampung" kitchen.  This is my own recipe that has taken me years to perfect!  I hope you will like it very much!

Kari Ayam recipe (serves 2-3)

• 2 inch knob peeled galangal*
• 2 inch knob peeled ginger*
• 3 inch knob peeled fresh turmeric*
• 6-7 cloves garlic*
• 5-6 shallots*
• 4 long red chilis*
• 6 dried chilis, soaked in hot water and deseeded*
• 2 tsp. terasi (Indonesian shrimp paste, you can use Thai shrimp paste instead if this is hard to find)*
• 5-6 kemiri (candlenuts)*
• One stalk lemongrass, white part only, bashed
• 2.5 tbsp Meat Curry Powder (This can be bought in most Asian grocieries, but I will post later how to make your own.  I often use Yeo's brand from Malaysia)
• 1-2 large potatos, peeled and chunked
• 1 kg chicken
• 400 ml coconut milk (ayam brand is best)
• 1.5-2 cups stock (or dissolve 3 bouillon cubes in 1.5 cups water)
• Salt and sugar to taste

First grind the starred ingredients to a very fine paste in a food processor.  Make sure there is a nice, even consistency!  This is important so that the curry doesn't come out feeling gritty in the mouth.  Begin by blending the tough ingredients like the galangal, ginger, then the dried chilis, always adding one ingredient at a time and blending.  This finished paste is called a "rempah" in Indonesia.  Then heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a large wok or deep cooking vessel.  When smoking, add in the ground spices.  Fry until they are fragrant and the oil separates.  This can take longer than you think!  I always like to say it is better to fry the spices longer rather than shorter as the goal is to release flavor and mix the red color in the chilis with the oil.

Next add in the stock, coconut milk, lemongrass stalk, and meat curry powder.  Mix well, then leave to simmer (covered) for about 30 minutes.  Then uncover and chuck in the potato.  Let the curry simmer until the potatos are cooked.

 Serve alongside white rice, nasi lemak (for a Malaysian feel), or roti jala/roti canai.  I like to add a hard-boiled egg on the side as this can help combat the spiciness of the curry.  Selamat makan! (Indonesian version of "bon appétit!")