Ayam Penyet (Indonesian Smashed Fried Chicken & Rice)
A flavourful and fragrant Indonesian dish with crispy smashed chicken served with rice and spicy sambal.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 55 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 TBSP Simply Canola Oil (Sambal)
1/2 cup Beer, your choice
1/2 tsp Baking Powder (Batter)
1 tsp Salt (Batter)
8 TBSP Cornflour (Batter)
2 Cups of Stock from Poached Chicken (Rice)
2 Cups Fortune Basmati Rice
2 Cups of Stock from Poached Chicken (Rice)
2 Cups Fortune Basmati Rice
1 tsp Tamarind Pulp of Juice of 1 Lime (Sambal)
1/2 tsp MSG, optional (Sambal)
1 tsp Salt (Sambal)
1/2 tsp Belacan (Shrimp Paste) (Sambal)
Water
5 to 6 Garlic Cloves or 3 Shallots, peeled (Sambal)
5 to 7 Green Chillies (Sambal)
10 Cayenne or Bird's Eye Chillies, stems removed (Sambal)
Simply Canola Oil (Frying)
3 Garlic Cloves
4 or 5 Kaffir Lime Leaves
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Stalk Lemongrass, smashed
Pinch of MSG (Optional)
1tsp Salt
4 Skin-on Chicken legs
Method
Poach the Chicken
- Bring a pot of water to a boil (enough to fully submerge the chicken legs). Add garlic, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and turmeric powder. Let it infuse for 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken legs and simmer for 20-30 minutes until full cooked (no pink juices). Remove the chicken from the pot and reserve 2 cups of the poaching liquid for the rice. Let the chicken cool slightly
Sambal
- In a small pan, heat a thin layer of canola oil and gently fry the chillies for 1-2 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Using a mortar and pestle, pound the fried chillies together with garlic or shallots, salt, sugar and MSG until well combined. Add shrimp paste and diced tomato, then continue pounding until it becomes a saucy paste.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and tamarind pulp or lime juice. The sambal should be savory with a hint of sweetness.
Tip: You can make the sambal a day ahead and store it in a jar in the fridge for up to one week
Cooking the Rice
- In a bowl, mix cornflour, salt and baking powder. Divide this dry mix into two separate bowls. In one of the bowls, add the beer to create a wet batter.
- Heat enough oil in a pan to fully submerge the chicken. Test the oil by drizzling in a bit of batter - if it sizzles, it's ready.
- Dredge each poached chicken leg in the dry flour, then dip into the beer batter. Fry until golden brown, about 7-10 minutes. Remove and let cool for a minute.
- Using a pestle, gentle smash each piece of fried chicken. Spread sambal over the top
Serve
Serve the smashed chicken with a hot side of fragrant basmati rice. Optionally, add fres cucumber slices on the side.
Enjoy!