Ayam Pelecing (Fried Chicken with Pelecing Sambal

This is a very special recipe that we have decided is worthy for our first blog post in the food section. Actually this menu originates from our family who are based in Mataram, Lombok island. For those familiar with Indonesia’s top holiday destinations, Lombok and its surrounding tiny islands (the “Gilis”) is consistently on top of many people’s list with beautiful landscapes from coastal scenes to mountainous terrains. Not sure how many of you actually know (unless you are of course Indonesian) but Lombok itself actually means “chilli” — and whether you want to call it a coincidence or not but Lombok cuisine tend to be on the really spicy side (even for people with high spice tolerance!) and this particular dish is no different.

For the family, this menu is such a favorite and become one of those meals appears in their daily rotation hence. It’s so good that the family always makes up reasons to whip out this dish whether or not there is some special occasion happening (as with most parts of the world, some Lombok dishes are typically tied to a certain occasion or celebration — unless you really like it thus no need for a special reason!). Pelecing sambal is a very iconic representation of Lombok’s palette; fresh, vibrant, spicy. The sambal is actually often associated with another dish, the Kangkung Pelecing (essentially water spinach in pelecing sambal coating), which is also an amazing side dish that is so versatile that it can be paired with most main dishes.

Can you even say no to that mouth watering view?

For us and family, there are definitely moments where everyone’s uninspired in picking what menu they should eat that day, and this fried chicken recipe is always a really effective pick-me-up for everyone because for sure everyone in the house is a major fan of the dish and that it will always be a success no questions asked.

If and when Shad comes back and visit her childhood home in Mataram, her Mom most probably make sure to cook the dish.

Remember that when you try making this recipe keep in mind that it is intended to be spicy and the only real way to enjoy the dish in all its glory is to just suck it up, prepare a lot of water (or milk!), and embrace the roller coaster of satisfaction you get when eating this with a good serving of piping hot rice!

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken (preferably free range)

• 5 cloves garlic

• 1 clove shallot

• 5 red chilli peppers

• 10 chilli padi (adjust to taste)

• 1 medium size tomato

• 1/2 tsp shrimp paste

• 1/2 tbsp palm sugar

• 2 stems lemongrass

• 5 lime leaves

• 1 key lime

• 1/2 tsp chicken stock

• Salt

• Cooking oil

Cooking steps:

• Put water to a boil then put chicken in. Add a pinch of salt and around 3 cloves of garlic — this is outside the 5 listed in the above ingredients — that you crush with the side of your knife before putting in the boiling water. Nearing the end, heat up oil in a deep-fry pan.

• Once the chicken have changed into a slightly brown colour, take it out and put into the deep-fry pan until cooked. Take out and put aside to cool.

• Take garlic, shallot, chilli pepper, chilling padi, tomato, shrimp paste, palm sugar — put into a blender/food mixer/manual grind and mix all these ingredients together. What you are looking for is not a super refined mixture as you still want to have texture in the blend.

• On a fry pan, heat up oil then stir fry the blend you made in the step before this and once slightly mixed, add in lemongrass and lime leaves until the whole thing is well cooked. Put in salt and chicken stock before the next step.

• Put in the chicken then mix well inside the frying pan. Once you feel like the ingredients have mixed together, turn off the heat and squeeze in the key lime then continue mixing. You should be all done, transfer into a plate.

Hope you enjoyed this first entry as it is a truly special gem from our family to yours. Do let us know your impressions of the dish and how enjoyable you found it!