Name: Chicken Braised in Coconut Milk and Spices (Opor Ayam Putih)
Yield: Makes 4–6 servings as part of a multicourse meal
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: Fried shallots for serving; 1 tablespoon coriander seeds or ground coriander; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 3 salam leaves or makrut lime leaves; 1 tablespoon sugar; 5 candlenuts or unsalted macadamias; 1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper; 2 (½-inch/12-mm) slices galangal; 1½ tablespoons fine sea salt; 2 cups (475 ml) water; 4 cloves garlic, smashed; 2 cups (475 ml) unsweetened coconut milk, divided; 8 Asian shallots or 4 European shallots, chopped; 3 slices dried kencur, soaked, or ½ teaspoon ground kencur (optional); 1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and bruised; 1 (3–4 lb/1.4–1.8 kg) chicken, cut into 8 parts; 4 tablespoons (60 ml) vegetable oil, divided

Preparation info

Makes
4–6
servings as part of a multicourse meal

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Mortar and Pestle

By Patricia Tanumihardja

Published 2024

About

There are two kinds of opor—a white version called opor putih and its yellow counterpart, opor kuning (made with turmeric). Both are popular dishes served during special celebrations like Lebaran (Eid al-Fitr) and selamatan. Julia has always made opor putih and I tell people it’s just like Thai green curry.