Ayam Goreng (Turmeric Fried Chicken)

Name: Ayam Goreng (Turmeric Fried Chicken)
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 1.2 kg Chicken, cut into 8 pieces; 6 Shallots; 5 Garlic cloves; 4 cm Fresh turmeric (or 2 tsp powder); 3 cm Galangal, sliced; 3 Candlenuts (or macadamias); 1 tbsp Coriander seed, ground; 2 stalks Lemongrass, bruised; 3 Bay leaves (daun salam if you can get them); 2 tsp Salt; 1 tsp Palm sugar; 500 ml Water; 1 L Oil, for deep frying

Indonesian fried chicken has no flour on it. The chicken is first simmered in a turmeric, garlic and galangal broth until cooked through and yellow to the bone, then deep-fried just long enough for the skin to blister. The simmering is the recipe; the frying is the finish.

Quelle

Rezept von Indonesian home kitchens · 🏺 Traditionell · Indonesian household cooking

Indonesia · fried chicken with no batter — An ownerless everyday dish, so no cook is credited. The cited article confirms ayam goreng as Indonesian and Malay deep-fried chicken that, unlike other countries' versions, relies on turmeric and garlic rather than flour, and ranked among the world's best fried chicken by TasteAtlas in 2024. The simmer-then-fry method, the spice paste, the kremes and quantities are this book's own.

Hintergrund auf Wikipedia ↗

Zubereitung im Video · 3 Videos

Marion Grasby Tanjong Sauce Xiengni Zhou

⏱ 60 Min.🍽 4 Portionen🔥 430 kcal🇮🇩 Indonesien🌶️

HalalLaktosefreiGlutenfrei

Zubereitung

Blend the shallots, garlic, turmeric, galangal, candlenuts and coriander with a splash of the water into a smooth paste.
Put the chicken in a wide pot with the paste, lemongrass, bay leaves, salt, sugar and the rest of the water. Turn the pieces to coat.
Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered 30–35 minutes, turning once, until the chicken is cooked through and the liquid has reduced to a thick yellow coating.
💡 Reduce it right down. The paste clinging to the skin is what fries into the crust — a wet chicken in oil spits and stays pale.
Lift the chicken out onto a rack and let it dry and cool 15 minutes. Keep the pot's remaining paste.
Heat the oil to 180 °C. Fry the chicken in two batches 4–5 minutes until the skin is deep golden and crisp at the edges.
💡 It is already cooked. You are frying for colour and crackle only, so hot oil and a short time — long frying dries it out.
Drop a spoonful of the leftover paste into the oil for the last minute — it fries into crisp golden crumbs (kremes) to scatter over the chicken. Serve with rice, sambal and raw vegetables.

💡 Tipps

Every region has its own: ayam goreng Kalasan from Yogyakarta is simmered in coconut water and is sweeter; Padang's is redder with more chilli. This is the plain Javanese base they all vary from.
The simmered, un-fried chicken keeps two days in the fridge. Fry it straight from cold and it is dinner in ten minutes.