3 Budak Gemuk Style Dry Soy Sauce Chicken

Ingredients

• 500 g Chicken (cut into bite-sized pieces)
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder (for marinating chicken)
• Salt (to taste, for marinating and seasoning)
• 0.5 cup Cooking oil (for frying chicken and aromatics)
• 2 Red onions (large, blended or chopped)
• 4 cloves Garlic (blended or chopped)
• 2 inch Ginger (blended or chopped)
• 2 stalks Lemongrass (bruised)
• 2 sprigs Curry leaves (do not skip for aroma)
• 1 tbsp Chili paste (cili bo)
• 2 tbsp Oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp Caramel sauce (thick dark soy sauce)
• 0.25 cup Sweet soy sauce (kicap manis; add more for better flavor)
• 1 piece Dried tamarind peel (asam keping, small piece)
• 0.25 cup Water (just enough to keep it moist)
• 10 Bird's eye chilies (cili padi, for sambal gesek)
• 2 Red chilies (large chilies, for sambal gesek)
• 5 Shallots (for sambal gesek)
• 3 cloves Garlic (for sambal gesek)
• 1 tbsp Lime juice (freshly squeezed for sambal)

Steps

1. 1

   Toss the chicken pieces with turmeric powder and salt until evenly coated.

2. 2

   Heat oil in a pan and fry the chicken until it is half-cooked. Remove from the pan and set aside.

3. 3

   Using a food processor or chopper, blend 2 large onions, 4 cloves of garlic, and 2 inches of ginger until fine.

4. 4

   In the same pan (remove excess oil if necessary), sauté the blended aromatics until they are slightly browned and fragrant.

5. 5

   Add 2 bruised lemongrass stalks and a handful of curry leaves. Continue to sauté until the aroma of the curry leaves is released.

6. 6

   Add 1 small ladle (approx. 1 tbsp) of chili paste (cili bo) and sauté until the oil separates.

7. 7

   Stir in 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon of caramel sauce, and a generous amount of sweet soy sauce (kicap manis).

8. 8

   Add one small piece of dried tamarind peel (asam keping) and season with salt to taste.

9. 9

   Return the fried chicken to the pan. Mix well to coat the chicken in the sauce.

10. 10

    Add a small splash of water to keep the dish moist. Simmer until the chicken is fully cooked through and the sauce has thickened.

11. 11

    To make the Sambal Gesek: Fry bird's eye chilies, red chilies, 5 shallots, and 3 cloves of garlic in oil until softened and slightly charred. Remove from oil.

12. 12

    Using a mortar and pestle, pound (gesek) the fried ingredients until they form a coarse paste. Do not use a blender.

13. 13

    Mix in 1 tablespoon of the hot frying oil and a squeeze of lime juice into the sambal.

14. 14

    Serve the dry soy sauce chicken with white rice, the sambal gesek, and a fried omelet (telur dadar).

Notes

The author emphasizes not skipping the curry leaves as they provide the essential aroma for this dish. For the sambal, using a mortar and pestle is preferred over a blender to achieve the correct 'gesek' (pounded) texture.

Nutrition per serving

• Main Dish
• Chicken
• Malaysian
• Spicy
• Stir-fried
• Dinner
• Comfort Food