Garang Asem (Sour Chicken Steamed in Banana Leaf) Recipe

Name: Garang Asem (Sour Chicken Steamed in Banana Leaf)
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4 people
Cuisine: Indonesian, Central Java
Ingredients: 500 g chicken, cut small; 300 ml medium coconut milk; 10 bilimbi, cut; 2 green tomatoes, cut; 10 whole bird's eye chillies; 3 red chillies, sliced diagonally; 6 shallots, sliced; 4 garlic cloves, sliced; 3 Indonesian bay leaves; 2 cm galangal, sliced; 1.5 tsp salt; 1 tsp sugar; Banana leaves for wrapping

How to Make

Boil the chicken until half cooked and drain.

Mix the chicken with the shallots, garlic, chillies, bilimbi, tomatoes, galangal, salt and sugar.

Pour in the coconut milk and mix.

Lay two sheets of banana leaf, add a bay leaf and a portion of chicken with sauce, fold into a parcel and secure with a toothpick.

Steam 45 minutes until cooked.

Kitchen tip

Wrap the parcels tightly so the coconut milk does not leak while steaming.

Questions

Where does Garang Asem (Sour Chicken Steamed in Banana Leaf) come from?

Garang Asem Ayam is a traditional dish from Central Java (capital: Semarang), in the Java region of Indonesia.

How long does Garang Asem (Sour Chicken Steamed in Banana Leaf) take to make?

It takes about 1 hr 15 min in total to make 4 servings, including preparation.

What is the secret to a good Garang Asem (Sour Chicken Steamed in Banana Leaf)?

Wrap the parcels tightly so the coconut milk does not leak while steaming.

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