
Notes, Tips & Tricks
Here it is a typical cuisine from the province of Jambi, Sumatra Island: "Kelia Hati Ayam" or Chicken Livers in Spicy Coconut Sauce.
The complete seasoning blends into the chicken livers & potatoes, making this dish tastes savory-delicious with a little touch of sourness. It's similar to Sambal
Goreng Kentang Hati from Java but with a little touch of cumin, ....the aroma is soooo inviting!! Honestly I like this dish since I made it for the first time as another
alternative of Sambal Goreng Kentang Hati as I mentioned above.
Yes we are Indonesian like eating innards such as livers & gizzards, especially the children.
I remember in my childhood time, when my parents cooked a whole chicken for festive occasions, my brothers and I were sometimes fighting over the innards instead of
big fleshy parts. Then I ate them at the end of eating process. Save the best for last !! ha ha ..What a great memory ever!! So if you are kind of innards lover, then try & find it yourself ;-)
Note: Chicken liver can be replaced with beef liver. If preferred, potatoes can be subtituted with gizzards or take both into the recipe. For you who are strange with innards,
just replace with beef or chicken. This sauce tastes really superb, doesn't matter what you cook with.
Ingredients
Ingredients for 3-4 persons:
- 3 big potatoes, diced
- 10 chicken livers
- 1 stem lemon grass, outer leaves discarded, cut in two, bruished
- 2 kaffir-lime leaves
- 2 salam leaves or bay leaves
- 200 ml/7 fl.oz very thick coconut milk
- 1 tsp tamarind pulp soak in 3 tbsp water
- 2 tsp or to taste salt
- 1 tsp sugar (if preferred)
- oil to stir-fry the paste
Spice for the paste:
- 6 large red chillies, chopped
- 6 shallots, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 4 candlenuts, roughly chopped or crashed
- 1 cm /1 tsp galangale, chopped
- 2 cm fresh turmeric or 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/4 tsp cumin powder
- 1/4 tsp dried shrimp paste / terasi (optional)

Step-by-Step Instructions:
- 1
Cut the chicken livers in half. Keep aside. Peel-off the potatoes, diced & soak in water to prevent brown colour. Set aside to drain shortly before using.
- 2
Put all the ingredients for the paste into a blender and blend until smooth. Add a little bit oil if necessary to help the blending process.
- 3
Soak the tamarind pulp in warm water. Squeeze the tamarind pulp constantly to extract the flavor into the water. Drain the pulp and save the tamarind juice.
- 4
Heat 2 tbsp used oil in a wok or shallow pan. (Don't add oil if already added during a blending process).
- 5
Stir-fry the paste, lemongrass, kaffir-lime leaves & salam leaves over medium heat until fragrant. Stir all the time to prevent burn. (approx. 10 minutes)
- 6a
Add the potatoes and chicken livers. Cover the pan & bring all until half-cooked. (approx 15 minutes).
- 6b
- 7
Add tamarind juice & salt.
- 8
Pour in the coconut milk and stir to mix.
- 9
Continue to simmer over medium heat until well cooked. Stir occationally.
- 10
Adjust the seasoning, if necessary add the salt and sugar to taste. (Ensure that the potatoes not too soft/overcooked). Remove from stove and serve hot.