You will need to visit a specialty Asian grocery store to obtain some of the components for Ayam Penyet (Penyet Chicken), an intensely spicy Indonesian meal that will leave your tongue burning.
Materials
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled, divided
- 3 shallots, divided
- 1 ½ inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped
- 1 ½ inch piece galangal, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 4 chicken thighs
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 2 salam leaves (substitute with curry leaves)
- 3 teaspoons oil, divided, or as needed
- ½ tomato
- 11 fresh red chile pepper, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons key lime juice, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
- ½ teaspoon white sugar
- 1 bunch lemon basil (kemangi)
How to cook step by step
Step 1
In a mortar and pestle, combine the garlic, ginger, galangal, coriander, 1 shallot, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; pound until a mixture forms.
Step 2
In a pot, combine the chicken, water, salam leaves, and garlic paste. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Step 3
In the meantime, warm up two teaspoons of oil in a skillet. After the chicken has finished boiling, cook it in a skillet for 5 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
Step 4
Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute the remaining 2 shallots, tomato, and red chilies for 2 minutes to make the sambal (chili sauce). Add the lime juice, shrimp paste, sugar, lemon basil, and half a teaspoon of salt to a mortar and pestle. Everything should be pounded into a paste.
Step 5
On a serving platter, arrange the chicken on top of the sambal (chile sauce) at the bottom.
