Chicken Sambal Recipes

SAMBAL CHICKEN

Steps:

• Rinse and drain the cleaned chicken pieces thoroughly. Add to a bowl to marinate.
• Marinate the chicken: Add all the ingredients 'for Marinating the Chicken'. Rub well and set aside for a minimum time of 30 minutes to marinate. (Up to 3 hours if refrigerated).
• Rehydrate the dried chillies: Add the dried red chilies to a saucepan with water. Boil this for 10 minutes, then switch off the heat, cover and leave for 30 minutes to rehydrate. The dried chilies will 'plump' up and soften.
• Make the Sambal Paste: Add all the ingredients to make the Sambal paste to a small Grinder jar or blender. When you remove the dried rehydrated chilies from the saucepan, use your fingers to lift them out of the water. Do not squeeze them to remove water. Add to the grinder jar.
• Grind these ingredients, to a very smooth paste without adding water. The liquid from the rehydrated chilies s and the tomato is sufficient liquid.
• Frying the chicken: Heat half cup oil in a wide wok and fry the marinated chicken pieces on all sides till golden. It does not have to be fully cooked here. Remove the fried pieces from the oil.
• Now you can either remove all but 3 Tbsp of the oil, or use the remaining oil in the wok to saute onions. ( In the video, I use all the remaining oil. However, you can reduce the amount of oil and keep sprinkling water during the long cooking process, as I do when I don't have too many other things happening in the kitchen.)
• Add the chopped onions, whole spices (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, star anise) and the ginger-garlic paste.
• Saute till the raw smell of the ginger and garlic is gone. Then add the half of a tomato, that has been chopped and saute till the tomato softens.
• Once the tomato is soft, add the prepared Sambal Paste. Give it a good stir. Rinse out the blender/ grinder with a small amount of water so as not to lose any of that paste.
• Now, cook this slow and low. Low-Medium heat for 20 minutes. Stir every 3-4 minutes. This is where the amount of oil plays well and prevents scorching of spices. If you used less oil, to begin with, keep sprinkling water so you don't get the burnt taste.
• After 20 minutes, the oil has separated and the sauce is nice and thick.
• Add the tomato ketchup and hot and sweet chilli sauce.
• Now return the fried chicken and stir well. Cook the pieces in the sauce briefly and then add the water (1/2 cup). Stir well and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, add the Lime leaves(torn) and cook for 10 more minutes. Add salt, only if needed.
• After 10 minutes, we see the thick gravy coating the chicken pieces.
• Serve with plain steamed rice or Nasi Minyak (ghee rice).

FRAGRANT SPICED CHICKEN WITH BANANA SAMBAL

Steps:

• Put the onions in a food processor with the garlic and ginger. Blitz until it is as smooth as possible, then pour in half the stock and blitz again.
• Heat a large non-stick pan, sprinkle in the spices and toast for 1 min. Pour in the onion mixture, the remaining stock and all but ½ tsp of the chopped chilli. Add the almonds and tomato purée, and stir well. Simmer for 35 mins until completely soft, stirring every now and then and adding a little water if the mixture starts to catch on the bottom of the pan.
• Add the chicken and half the fresh coriander. Heat very gently for 10 mins to cook the chicken through. Mix all the sambal ingredients with the remaining coriander and chilli, and heat the rice following pack instructions. Serve the chicken and sambal with the brown rice.