Name: Chicken with Green Tomatoes and Sambal (Ayam Cincane)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons shaved palm sugar or dark brown sugar; 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice; 1 salam leaf; 1 sprig Asian basil; ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg; 1 teaspoon dried shrimp paste (trasi), dry-roasted; 1 fresh chicken (2 lbs/1 kg); 5–6 shallots, peeled; 4 unripe tomatoes, sliced; 3 cloves garlic, peeled; 3 kaffir lime leaves; 1 tablespoon oil; 2 tablespoons tamarind juice; 3–4 red finger-length chilies, deseeded; ½ in (1 cm) fresh ginger, peeled and sliced; 2 spring onions, sliced; 8–10 shallots, peeled and sliced; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ in (1 cm) fresh galangal, peeled and sliced; 1 stalk lemongrass, thick bottom third only, outer layers discarded, inner part bruised; 2 cups (500 ml) water; 3–4 red finger-length chilies, deseeded and sliced

Preparation info

Serves
4 to 6

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
1 hr 25

Appears in

The Food of Indonesia

By Heinz Von Holzen

Published 2015

About

This recipe comes from Kalimantan, where it is usually made with free-range or kampung chickens. The sour tomatoes and lemon juice makes a delicious counterpoint to the sweet spiciness of the special sambal that is served with this dish.

Ingredients

1 fresh chicken (2 lbs/1 kg)
1 teaspoon

Method

Clean and cut the chicken into serving pieces. Season the chicken pieces with the salt and lime or lemon juice, then set aside to marinate for at least 20 minutes.
Make the Fragrant Chili Sambal by grinding the first 7 ingredients to a smooth paste in a mortar or blender, adding a little oil if necessary to keep the mixture turning. Heat the oil in a wok or ski