Bali Fried Chicken (Siap Megoreng)

Locale: Indonesia

Source: Heinz von Holzen/Lother Arsana, The Food of Bali [p. 70]

Ingredients

  • 3 lb chicken 4 baby chickens (12 ounces)
  • 1 c spice paste for chicken
  • 2.5 c coconut milk
  • 3.25 c chicken stock
  • 4 stalks lemon grass, bruised
  • 4 salam leaves
  • 1 tbs salt
  • 1 tbs black peppercorns, crushed

Spice Paste for Chicken (p. 40)

  • 7 shallots, peeled
  • 13 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 0.5 inch kencur root, peeled and chopped
  • 0.75 inch laos (galangal), peeled and chopped
  • 5 candlenuts (macadamia nuts)
  • 2 tbs palm sugar
  • 2 tbs vegetable oil
  • 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised
  • 2 salam leaves
  • 5 bird's-eye chilies, finely sliced

Steps

  1. Mix spice paste ingredients. Heat oil and fry, until paste changes to a golden color.

  2. Heat skillet. Add spice paste, saute for 2 minutes over low heat. Add coconut milk, chicken stock, lemongrass, and bring to boil for 5 minutes. Add chicken, salam leaves, salt and pepper, and simmer until three-quarters cooked, turning chicken frequently.

  3. Remove from heat and cook chicken in sauce to room temperature. Remove chicken from sauce and dry well for 30 minutes.

  4. You may then grill the chicken, or fry it until golden brown.

Notes

  1. Grilled chicken is called Siap Mepanggang. That's probably the preferred method of cooking.

  2. Recipe calls for "4 baby chickens, 12 ounces." First instruction was to butterfly the chickens and flatten. You can probably use cornish game hens here, which would work better for grilling than for frying. I just added up the ounces to get to 3 lbs.

  3. I tried this with about 2 lbs wings, cutting everything back by about one-third. I pan-fried the chicken, and it never reached anything resembling "golden brown." Deep frying was probably the expectation.

Log

  1. 2025-10-25: