A meal to remember: nasi kerabu, ayam percik, sambal belacan, mixed ulam and various condiments. (Tinagaren Ramkumar @ FMT Lifestyle)
It’s been a long month of fasting and as the end of Ramadan approaches, here’s a delicious meal for an unforgettable iftar – nasi kerabu with ayam percik, sambal belacan and mixed ulam.
In this fourth and final recipe in the “Tim Cooks: Ramadan Edition” series, learn how to make these mouth-watering dishes from veteran chef Timothy Sebastian.
1. Percik sauce
Ingredients (Serving: 1.8kg / 12 portions of 150g each)
• 900g sliced red onions
• 15g chopped garlic
• 25g sliced ginger
• 15g sliced lemongrass
• 45g sliced fresh turmeric
• 225g chilli “giling”
• 105g tamarind (asam jawa)
• 600g water to blend the tamarind (A)
• 60g corn oil
• 20g salt
• 37g chicken stock seasoning
• 30g castor sugar
• 600g coconut milk (santan) – Kara brand
• 75g toasted cashews
• 150g to blend cashews (B)
Method
• Mix the tamarind with water (A). Do this in three steps using one-third of the water while straining each time. Keep aside.
• Blend turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, ginger and some of the red onions with the tamarind water.
• Once the texture is fine, add the rest of the red onions and chilli “giling” and continue blending.
• In a deep stock pot, heat the oil. Add the blended mix, salt and chicken stock seasoning.
• Bring to a boil, lower the heat and allow to simmer for 45 minutes.
• After 45 minutes, add sugar and coconut milk. Bring to a boil once again, lower heat and let simmer for further 20 minutes.
• Taste the percik sauce. If it’s not tasty enough, continue to simmer until it is tasty.
• Next, boil water (B) with the cashews. Then, blend until smooth.
• Lastly, whisk to combine with the percik sauce, then bring to a boil again. Adjust the seasoning if required.
Shelf life: Three days if chilled; One month if frozen.
Tip: Instead of cashews, you can also use peanuts.
2. Percik marinade (Serving: 900g or 9 pieces chicken leg)
Ingredients
• 400g sliced red onions
• 30g chopped garlic
• 30g sliced ginger
• 50g sliced lemongrass
• 30g sliced turmeric
• 300g water to blend
• 40g coriander powder
• 40g cumin powder
• 10g chicken powder
• 10g salt
Method
• Blend red onions, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and turmeric with water until a fine paste.
• Transfer to a mixing bowl. Then, add salt, coriander powder, cumin powder and chicken powder. Whisk to combine.
Shelf life: Three days if chilled; One month if frozen
3. Marinating and roasting the ayam percik
Ingredients
• 1 whole chicken leg – with slits cut in the meat
• 70g percik sauce
• 100g percik marinade
Method
• Coat chicken leg with the percik marinade. Transfer to a clean container and leave to marinate for one hour or overnight for better flavour.
• Transfer to a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Next, coat the entire chicken leg with the percik sauce.
• Roast in a preheated oven at 180°C for 30 minutes.
4. Nasi kerabu
Ingredients (1.5kg or seven portions of about 215g each)
• 750g basmati rice
• 875g water (A)
• 3g butterfly or blue pea flowers (bunga telang)
• 265g water (B)
• 15g pandan leaves
Method
• Wash the rice five times until the water is clear.
• Let the rice sit in the water for 15 minutes, then drain well. This step helps elongate each grain of rice when cooking.
• Boil the butterfly or blue pea flowers in water (B), mix and let sit for five minutes.
• Place the drained rice in a rice cooker and add in water (A).
• Wash and tie the pandan leaves and place in the rice cooker.
• Strain the butterfly or blue pea flower water into the rice, mix well and cook.
• Once done, leave on warm setting for 30 minutes.
• Lastly, remove the pandan leaves and fluff the rice.
Shelf life: Three days if chilled
Tip: Instead of pandan leaves, you can also use lemongrass or kaffir lime leaves.
Tender and aromatic, the ayam percik is finger-licking good. (Tinagaren Ramkumar @ FMT Lifestyle)
5. Sambal belacan
Ingredients (Serving: 500g or 10 portions of 50g each)
• 50g corn oil
• 50g red onions (roughly cut)
• 10g peeled whole garlic
• 150g red chillies (cut into 1cm lengths)
• 50g chilli padi (cut into 1cm lengths)
• 50g tomatoes (roughly cut, blanched and skin removed)
• 50g toasted belacan
• 20g castor sugar
• 100g tamarind (asam jawa)
• 200g water to mix the tamarind
• 50g calamansi limes or limau kasturi (cut into halves with the seeds removed)
Method
• Heat the oil, add in the red onions and garlic.
• Sauté until golden brown and soft. Do not burn. When the onions and garlic are brown and soft, add the red chilies, chili padi and tomatoes.
• Sauté until well-wilted. Take your time with this as flavours are being developed.
• Next, add the toasted belacan. Sauté for 30 seconds to one minute, remove from heat and leave to cool.
• Mix the tamarind with water and do this in three steps, using 1/3 of the water and straining each time. Keep aside.
• Place the sauteed ingredients in the blender in batches. Blend with the tamarind water, calamansi lime juice and sugar.
• Then, transfer to a mixing bowl and whisk to mix all the ingredients well.
Shelf life: One week if chilled; One month if frozen
6. Mixed ulam
Ingredients (Serving: 240g or six portions of 40g each)
• 100g whole weight water celery (daun selom)
• 100g whole weight ulam raja
• 100g whole weight long beans
• 100g whole weight four-angled beans (kacang botol)
Method
• Trim the ends of the long beans and slice the beans finely. Place in a mixing bowl.
• Using a knife, cut the wings of the four-angled beans. Trim the ends and finely slice the four-angled beans. Then, place together with the long beans in the mixing bowl.
• Place the water celery in ice water, drain and spin dry in a salad spinner. Next, remove any hard stems, roll up the water celery and julienne finely. Then, add the water celery with the beans in the mixing bowl.
• Repeat the same process for the ulam raja.
• Mix all the ulam items until evenly distributed, transfer to a clean and dry container. Cover and keep chilled.
Shelf life: Two days if chilled
Tip: Using a really sharp knife to cut your vegetables can keep them fresher for longer.
Plating
Ingredients
• 1 rice cup nasi kerabu
• 1 ayam percik leg
• 1 ladle percik sauce
• 2 tablespoons bean sprouts – cleaned
• 4 tablespoons mixed ulam
• 1 pinch ginger flower (bunga kantan) – sliced
• 1 pinch Vietnamese coriander (daun kesum) – sliced
• 1 tablespoon sambal belacan
• 4 tablespoons anchovy sauce (budu sauce)
• Fish crackers (keropok ikan) as needed
• ½ salted egg
• 1 teaspoon salted fish – shredded
• 1 tablespoon toasted kerisik*
• 1 lime wedge
*Kerisik is toasted dry coconut that is pounded into a paste.
Method
• Serve the nasi kerabu with the percik chicken and other condiments.
• Ensure to place the beansprouts underneath the mixed ulam. Next, top the mixed ulam with the sliced Vietnamese coriander first then the sliced ginger flower.
• Voila! Serve and enjoy the meal with your loved ones.
‘Tim Cooks’ is sponsored by ChefHub, KitchenPlan, Hotelware Concept and Visionary Solutions.
Don’t miss Chef Tim’s recipes for sup ekor, ayam masak merah with nasi minyak and rendang tok with nasi lemak.
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