Ayam Merah and Ayam Tempra

Ayam Merah (chicken in red spicy sauce)

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg Chicken, cut into large pieces 
• 455 g Coconut, grated, squeeze for thick milk, add 280 ml water and squeeze again for thin milk
• 280 ml Water 
• 4 tbsp Cooking oil 
• 10 Kaffir lime leaves (daun limau purut) 
• 2 stalks Lemon grass, crushed
• 1 tbsp salt 
• ½ tsp MSG 
• 30 g Tamarind pulp (assam), mixed with 115 ml water, squeezed and strained
• Rempah
• 10 Candlenuts 
• ½ tsp Ginger, peeled
• 2 tbsp Chili powder 
• 10 Red chilies, seeded
• 10 Red bird's eye chilies (cili padi) 
• 1 clove Garlic, peeled
• 1 tsp Shrimp paste (belacan) 
• 65 g Shallots, peeled
• Marinade for Chicken
• 1 tbsp Sugar 
• 1 tsp Salt 
• 1 tsp MSG 

Method

Pound rempah ingredients to a fine paste and set aside. 

Marinate chicken with marinade ingredients for ½ hour. 

Grease a roasting pan with 2 tbsp cooking oil. 

Rub chicken with 2 tbsp oil and roast chicken in a hot oven until light brown. 

Remove from oven and set aside. Place thin milk, rempah, kaffir lime leaves and lemon grass into a heated pan and boil over medium heat for 10 minutes. 

Season with 1 tbsp salt and ½ tsp MSG. Add roasted chicken, pan juices and tamarind water and boil for another 10 minutes. 

Add in thick milk, reduce heat and simmer uncovered until chicken is tender. 

Remove from heat and serve.

Ayam Tempra (spicy chicken)

Ingredients

• 900 g Chicken, cut into pieces
• 5 tbsp Cooking oil 
• 225 g Onions, peeled and cut into rings 
• 8 Green chilies, thickly sliced
• 6 Red chilies, thickly sliced
• Marinade for Chicken
• 1 tsp Salt 
• 1 tsp MSG 
• Seasoning
• 1 tbsp Dark soy sauce 
• 1 tbsp Sugar 
• 1/2 tsp Salt 
• 1/2 tsp MSG 
• 2 tsp Lime juice 
• 225 ml Water 

Method

Rub chicken with marinade ingredients and set aside for ½ hour.

Combine seasoning ingredients in another bowl.

Heat wok until very hot, add 4 tbsp cooking oil. 

When hot, add onions and chilies and fry for ½ minute. 

Add chicken and stir-fry over high heat until cooked. 

Add seasoning ingredients and cook for 5 minutes. 

Lower heat, cover wok and cook until chicken is tender.

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