Ayam Masak Bali (Balinese-style Chicken)

Ingredients

• 0.5 kg Chicken (cut into pieces)
• Salt (for marinating chicken and seasoning)
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder (for marinating chicken)
• 0.5 cup Cooking oil (for frying chicken and sautéing)
• 3 Red onions (large size, for blending)
• 5 cloves Garlic (for blending)
• 1 inch Ginger (thumb-sized, for blending)
• 5 stalks Lemongrass (bruised)
• 3 sprigs Curry leaves (plus more for garnish)
• 3 tbsp Dried chili paste (cili boh)
• 0.25 cup Water (as needed for sautéing)
• 1 tbsp Oyster sauce (recommended: Masuri brand)
• 0.25 cup Sweet spicy soy sauce (kicap manis pedas; adjust to taste)
• 2 tbsp Tamarind water (diluted tamarind paste)
• Sugar (to taste)
• 5 Bird's eye chilies (cili padi, for extra heat)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and coat thoroughly with salt and turmeric powder.

2. 2

   Heat oil in a pan and fry the chicken until golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

3. 3

   In a blender, combine the red onions, garlic, and ginger. Blend until a smooth paste forms.

4. 4

   Using the same pan (reduce oil if needed), sauté the bruised lemongrass and curry leaves until fragrant and the leaves have wilted.

5. 5

   Add the blended onion mixture to the pan and stir well.

6. 6

   Add the dried chili paste (cili boh) and continue to sauté. Cook patiently until the raw smell of the onions and chili disappears.

7. 7

   If the mixture becomes too dry, add a little water and continue sautéing until the oil separates from the paste (pecah minyak).

8. 8

   Stir in the oyster sauce and a generous amount of sweet spicy soy sauce. The consistency and color should be similar to Soy Sauce Chicken (Ayam Masak Kicap).

9. 9

   Pour in the tamarind water and stir to combine.

10. 10

    Return the fried chicken to the pan and toss until evenly coated with the sauce.

11. 11

    Season with salt, sugar, or seasoning powder to taste.

12. 12

    For extra aroma and spice, add more curry leaves and bird's eye chilies. Stir until well combined and serve hot with steamed rice.

Notes

The key to this dish is the 'pecah minyak' (oil separation) stage during sautéing, which ensures the aromatics are fully cooked and the flavors are developed. The flavor profile is a balance of the fragrance from lemongrass and curry leaves with the sweetness of the soy sauce.

Nutrition per serving

• Main Course
• Chicken
• Malaysian
• Ramadan
• Spicy
• Sautéed