Chicken Sambal

Tue, 27 August 2024

Serves 4 

Ingredients

3 tbsp vegetable oil 

1 batch of spice paste 

1 tsp ground turmeric 

3 lime leaves, shredded 

5 tbsp soy sauce 

1 tbsp fish sauce 

200ml water 

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced 

juice of 1 lime 

2 tbsp light brown sugar 

200g green beans, cut into three or four pieces 

? 

FOR THE TAMARIND JUICE: 

45g tamarind pulp 

300ml water 

? 

FOR THE SPICE PASTE: 

8 shallots, roughly chopped 

5 fresh red chillies, roughly chopped, seeds and all 

4–5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 

4–5 lime leaves 

2 lemongrass stalks, roughly chopped 

a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, roughly chopped 

? 

FOR THE NASI LEMAK: 

500g basmati rice 

2 thumb-sized pieces of ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks 

2–3 fresh pandan leaves, tied into a knot 

2 x 400ml tins of full-fat coconut milk 

200ml water 

1 tbsp fine sea salt 

1 tbsp caster sugar 

? 

To make the tamarind juice, soak the tamarind pulp in the water until the pulp has dissolved. 

? 

To make the spice paste, blend all the ingredients until smooth in a high-speed blender or crush them together in a pestle and mortar. 

? 

To make the nasi lemak, soak the rice in a bowl of cold water for at least 30 minutes, then drain and rinse until the water runs clear. Pop everything into a rice cooker if you have one and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If cooking on the hob, put everything in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a boil, then cover with a tight fitting lid, reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and cook for 30–45 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed. To serve, discard the pandan leaves and fluff up the rice with a fork. 

? 

Meanwhile, to make the sambal, heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan on a medium heat. Add the spice paste and cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Add the turmeric and cook for another 5 minutes, still stirring, until the paste has darkened in colour and the raw ingredients are all cooked. 

? 

Add two-thirds of the lime leaves and all the tamarind juice and simmer for a few minutes, then add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, the fish sauce and the water. Stir in the chicken and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10–15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked. 

? 

Add the lime juice, 1 tablespoon of sugar and another 2 tablespoons of soy sauce to balance the sweetness. Cook for 10 minutes, until the sauce has reduced slightly and the oil has separated out of the sauce around the edges of the pan. It will look like a lot of oil, but don’t worry! 

? 

Add the green beans and cook for a few minutes, then finish with a final tablespoon of sugar, the remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and the rest of the lime leaves. The sambal should have a good balance of sourness, saltiness and sweetness. 

? 

Divide the sambal among bowls and serve with nasi lemak on the side.