Kari ayam is Indonesian Chicken Curry. I’m not going to pretend that I grew up eating this, or that I am very familiar with Indonesian recipes or ingredients, but since I have made this a few times, I find that it is very satisfying, and wanted to include it here.

In fact, I dare say that this is my favorite dish to prepare and eat! I regret not having toasted shallots sprinkled on top, because I think it really adds an extra oomph to the dish. I love the aroma of it that permeates throughout the apartment, letting me know that a satisfying meal is ahead. (By the way, you may think that a tablespoon of salt, and 1/3 cup of sugar is excessive. I like the way it tastes with those amounts, but feel free to adjust those amounts to your preference/liking.)

Kari Ayam (recipe from SBS Global HERE)

ingredients:

100 grams medium-hot red chilies, seeded

100 shallots, roughly chopped

25 grams garlic cloves

5 candlenuts

40 grams fresh turmeric

15 grams ginger, sliced

vegetable oil

2 stalks lemongrass, bruised

25 grams galangal, roughly chopped

1 liter coconut milk

2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted and ground

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

5 cloves

15 grams shrimp paste, roasted and crushed

1 Tablespoon salt

1/3 cup sugar

1.5 kg chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces

500 grams potatoes, peeled and quartered

fried shallots, topping

method:

Blend the first six ingredients in a food processor with a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil, until a smooth paste forms. In a large kettle, fry the shrimp paste in a little bit of oil, until it has darkened in color. Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the potatoes, chicken and shallots, and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and potatoes and bring to a boil, then turn down to medium to medium-low, simmering until the potatoes are tender, and the chicken is cooked. Is using, fry chopped shallots until crispy and use as a topping to the chicken when serving.