Coconut Chicken Curry (Opor Ayam)

Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients

* 1 Broiler or fryer Chicken with skin, approx. 450g.
* 2 t Salt
* 1 lg Onion, chopped finely
* 3 Cloves garlic, chopped
* 3 T Oil
* 1 T Coriander
* Pinch of chopped ginger
* 1 t Ground lemon grass
* 2 c Coconut milk
* 1 Salam leaf

Directions
Cut chicken into serving portions and rub with salt.

Fry onion and garlic in oil until lightly brown. Now, add coriander, ginger and lemon grass. Stir well for about 1 minute.

Add chicken, mixing thoroughly so that chicken absorbs the spices. Add coconut milk and salam leaf. Cover tightly and cook over medium heat for about 40 minutes. Serve with rice

Cooked Vegetables with Grated Coconut (Urap)

Ingredients

* 8 oz fresh green beans
* 8 oz bean sprouts
* 4 carrots
* 1 can bamboo shoots
* ½ small cabbage
* 1 cup fresh grated coconut
* 1 small onion, finely chopped
* ½ tsp. chilli sauce (sambal ulek)
* 1 tsp. salt
* 2 Tbs. lime juice
* ½ tsp. dried shrimp paste (terasi)

Directions
Wash bean sprouts, pinching of any brown tail. Pour boiling water over bean sprouts, then rinse under cold water tap. Drain well.

String beans and cut diagonally or bite-size lengths and cook in lightly salted water until just tender. Beans should still be crisp to bite.

Scrub carrot and cut into thin strips, cook until tender. Drain well.

Slice cabbage, discard the center stem. Blanch in boiling salted water for a minute or two, until tender but not limp. Drain and refresh with cold water.

Cut bamboo shoots into strips the same size as the beans.

Place fresh grated coconut into a bowl, add onion, chili sauce, salt, lime juice and the shrimp paste which has been grilled for a few minutes, or heated in a dry frying pan. Mix thoroughly together.

Sprinkle this grated coconut mixture over vegetables, reserving some to garnish the dish when served.

Put vegetables in a steamer and steam for 5-8 minutes.

Put the steamed vegetables to a serving dish/platter and sprinkle with reserved grated coconut mixture. Use as an accompaniment to a meal, or as a salad by itself.

Makes 6-8 servings

Fresh Salad with Peanut Sauce (Karedok)

Ingredients

* 1 fresh red or green semihot chili, cut into thin slices
* 1 clove garlic, sliced
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 small slices kencur, soaked in water for thirty minutes (optional)
* 3 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
* 1 teaspoon tamarind, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
* 2 teaspoons sugar
* 1 cup thin-sliced cucumbers
* 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
* 1 cup lettuce, broken into bite-size pieces

Directions
Crush the chili, garlic, salt, kencur and peanut butter in a mortar so it’ll become the sauce of the dish.

Add the tamarind liquid and sugar. Mix well.

Toss the sauce with the vegetables until well mixed. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Makes 4 servings, with other dishes.

Steamed Mushroom Wraps (Pepes Jamur Kuping)

100 gram cloud ear mushroom, soaked in hot water until soft, then drained
1 egg, beaten
125 ml medium thick
coconut milk from ¼ coconut
banana leaves

Spice Paste Ingredients:
10 red chilies
10 bird shit chilies (prik kii nuu)
7 small shallots
3 small cloves garlic
5 candlenuts
2 tomatoes
1 cm fresh galangal langkuas)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. palm sugar or brown sugar

Directions :
Slice the mushroom in 1 cm lengths and mix together with the egg, santan and the spice paste blend Devide the mixture among 20 packets made of banana leaves. Fold the ends of the packets and seal.
Steam the packets for about 25 minutes until done.
Remove and set aside. Broil the packets over medium
heat until liquid has evaporated.

Makes 20 Wraps