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Garang asem
Chicken and starfruit in banana leaf
Garang asem: Central Javanese chicken steamed in banana-leaf parcels with sour starfruit, tomato and chilli
Garang asem is a dish from Kudus and Demak on the north coast of Central Java, where it is cooked for family lunches and sold at warungs by midday. Bone-in chicken is packed into banana-leaf parcels with sour starfruit, tomato, whole chillies and a little thin coconut milk, then steamed until the juices turn into a light, tangy, peppery broth. It is clean-tasting rather than rich, and a portion has about 32 g of protein from the chicken; serve it with steamed rice. The common mistake is wrapping the parcels loosely so the broth runs out; fold the leaves in two layers and pin them tight. Chef's tip: if you can't find belimbing wuluh (sour starfruit), use green tomatoes and a spoon of tamarind water for the same sharpness.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken thighs and drumsticksbone in, skin removed, cut into 8 pieces
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp palm or brown sugar
- 8 sour starfruit (belimbing wuluh)halved lengthways; or 2 green tomatoes, cut in wedges
- 2 tomatoescut into wedges
- 3 red chilliessliced at an angle
- 6 green bird's eye chilliesleft whole
- 6 shallotsthinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlicthinly sliced
- 1 ⅛ in galangalsliced
- 4 Indonesian bay leaves (daun salam)or 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup light coconut milk
- 8 banana leavespieces about 30 cm square, plus toothpicks
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Wipe the 8 banana leaves and pass each piece briefly over a gas flame or dip in hot water until it turns glossy and soft, so it folds without splitting.
Step 2: In a bowl, mix 2 lb chicken thighs and drumsticks with 1 ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp palm or brown sugar, 6 shallots, 4 cloves garlic, 1 ⅛ in galangal, 3 red chillies and 6 green bird's eye chillies. Leave for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 3: Lay two leaves crosswise for each parcel. Put two pieces of chicken in the centre with some 8 sour starfruit (belimbing wuluh), 2 tomatoes and a 4 Indonesian bay leaves (daun salam) leaf. Fold up the sides like a bowl and spoon in a quarter of 1 cup light coconut milk.
Step 4: Fold the leaf over the top and pin the ends tightly with toothpicks. A loose parcel is the most common mistake: the broth leaks out and the chicken dries.
Step 5: Steam the parcels over boiling water, covered, for 40 minutes. Check one: the chicken should be cooked through, with clear juices and 165°F at the thickest part next to the bone.
40 minStep 6: Serve the parcels unopened on plates so everyone opens their own and spoons the sour broth over rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does garang asem take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of palm or brown sugar?
- Light brown sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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