Delicious Chicken Soup ala Kediri

Name: Spiced Chicken Soup ala Kediri
Ingredients: 500 g chicken breast, washed; 5 pc kaffir-lime leaves; 1 stem lemon grass, outer leaves discarded, bruished; 3 pc salam leaves or bay leaves; 2 cm fresh galangale crashed; 2 cm fresh ginger, thinly sliced; 1 l water; 300 ml thick coconut milk; 50 ml oil; sugar to taste; 5 pc shallots, chopped; 3 gloves garlic, chopped; 2 cm fresh ginger, chopped; 1 cm fresh turmeric (or 1/2 tsp turmeric powder); 5 pc candlenuts, roughly chopped; ½ tsp pepper (or 1/4 tsp pepper powder); salt to taste; 2 pc tomatoes, quartered; cabbage, shredded or lettuce leaves, finely sliced; spring onion, thinly sliced; 2 pc hard boiled eggs, halved or quartered; 1 pc lime, cut into wedges; Indonesian sweet soya Sauce / kecap manis

Origin: Kediri, East Java Province

Ingredients

500 g chicken breast, washed
5 pc kaffir-lime leaves
1 stem lemon grass, outer leaves discarded, bruished
3 pc salam leaves or bay leaves
2 cm fresh galangale crashed
2 cm fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 l water
300 ml thick coconut milk
50 ml oil
sugar to taste

Spice for the paste

5 pc shallots, chopped
3 gloves garlic, chopped
2 cm fresh ginger, chopped
1 cm fresh turmeric or 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
5 pc candlenuts, roughly chopped
½ tsp pepper or 1/4 tsp pepper powder
salt to taste

Garnish

2 pc tomatoes, quartered
cabbage, shredded or lettuce leaves, finely sliced
spring onion, thinly sliced
2 pc hard boiled eggs, halved or quartered
1 pc lime, cut into wedges
Indonesian sweet soya Sauce / kecap manis

Spiced Chicken Soup ala Kediri

There are many different varieties of Indonesian beef or chicken spiced soup, including "Chicken Soup ala Kediri". For you info: Kediri is a small town in East Java Province, the place where I was born ;-). So I have been familiar with this dish since my childhood times.

Compared to other spiced soups, this one is quite different. It is not clear as others because it contains coconut milk. But this is the difference which make it special and unique!

Tips: If you're using a blender or food processor instead of mortar to make a spice paste, you will probably need to add some liquid to help the blending process. Therefore there is an important method to be noted to get the optimum result.

1st: If the spice paste should be fried first in a hot oil (ex: this recipe) then you should add a little amount of oil into the food proccesor.

2nd: If the spice paste will be simmered in either water, coconut milk or broth then adding the specified liquid or a small amount of water is recommended. But please do not apply it vice versa, otherwise you could absolutely ruin the taste 😉

Instructions

Put the chicken breast, lemon grass, salam / bay leaves, galangale and ginger and 1 tsp salt in a deep saucepan.
Pour in 1 liter water, cover the pan and cook the chicken on a medium heat until half cooked.
Put all ingredients for the spice paste in a blender or food processor & blend until smooth. (If necessery add a little bit oil to help the blending process).
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan, stir-fry the paste all the time until fragrant.
Transfer the paste to the deep saucepan and add the coconut milk to the deep saucepan.
Bring over medium heat to boil. Stir occationally to prevent the coconut milk from separating.
Take the chicken out, set aside to drain or pat dry with kitchen paper.
Heat 50 ml oil in a frying pan or deep fryer and fry the chicken until golden brown. If preferred, you can also deep-fry the chicken in a Friteuse/deep fryer.
Let it until cool enough to handle then slice or shred the fried chicken into small strips.
Preparation: Arrange all the items and condiment in a serving plates. The soup should be kept pipping hot.
Serving Method: Put the sliced chicken in a individual bowl or a dish. Garnish with cabbage/lettuce, tomato and egg then pour in the hot soup. Press a lemon slice over the soup.
Last but not least pour a little bit kecap manis on top. Serve Your Chicken Soup ala Kediri with hot with rice.