Ayam masak merah (Red cooked chicken)

Ingredients

• 800 g chicken thigh cutlets
• 2 tbsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 3 tbsp oil
• 100 g cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 150 - 250 g fried shallots, plus extra to serve
• 40 g spring onions (white part only), cut into thin matchsticks
• 400 g tin crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• Steamed basmati rice, thinly sliced spring onion (green parts), finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, mint leaves, to serve

For the rempah paste

• 50 g roughly chopped red onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 10 g ginger, peeled
• 10 g Kashmiri dried chillies (rehydrated, or 1 ½ tbsp Malaysian chilli powder)

For the pineapple acar

• 1 cup sliced pineapple
• 1 cup deseeded, thinly julienned cucumber
• ½ cup thinly julienned carrot
• ½ brown onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red chilli, deseeded, thinly sliced
• 6 - 10 tbsp vinegar
• Sugar and salt, to taste

Instructions

1. To make the rempah paste, combine the ingredients in a food processor and blitz to a paste. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the chicken and turmeric and mix well to combine. Combine the flour and a generous pinch of salt and pepper on a plate, then coat each piece of chicken on both sides with flour. Transfer the chicken to a plate, ready to cook.
3. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Add the chicken, skin-side down and cook for 5 minutes, then turn and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until well-browned. Remove the chicken to a clean plate and set aside.
4. Return the pan to the heat, then add the rempah paste and sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until deeply fragrant. Add the cherry tomatoes, fried shallots (as much as you like) and spring onions and cook, stirring, until softened. Return the chicken to the saucepan with the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock and tomato paste, stirring well to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is very tender and the sauce has thickened. If you prefer a thinner sauce, add an extra splash of water or stock, if you like!
5. While the chicken is cooking, in a medium bowl combine the ingredients for the pineapple acar, seasoning well with vinegar, sugar and salt, to your taste preference. Set aside and allow to lightly pickle before serving.
6. When ready to serve, season the ayam masak merah well to taste with salt and pepper, then serve with basmati rice and the pineapple acar. Sprinkle the ayam masak merah with spring onion, herbs and extra fried shallots.
7. Once chicken is ready, serve with basmati rice and pineapple acar.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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