Ayam goreng or fried chicken – it’s everyone’s favourite. Crunchy and flavourful, you just can’t wait to sink your teeth into it. Every country has their own specialty fried chicken. Koreans have their crispy Yangnyeom chicken, in America you can find the Southern Fried Chicken, Germany has their Chicken Schnitzel and Japan has Karaage.
In Malaysia, we have Ayam Goreng Berempah, a fried chicken dish that’s full of spices and herbs, crispy and crunchy on the outside but juicy on the inside. The best Ayam Goreng Berempah can be found during Ramadan at the Ramadan Bazaars.
Thinking of making your own Ayam Goreng Berempah for Hari Raya? We’ve got a delicious recipe here to share. The most important step is marinating the chicken pieces with freshly ground spices. The fresher the spices, the better the taste. Also, make sure to cut the chicken into larger pieces to keep the meat moist when it is deep-fried.
Ingredients:
• 1 kg chicken – cut into medium-sized pieces
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp fennel powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp meat curry powder
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• 1 ½ tsp salt
Blend into paste:
• 4 garlic cloves
• 6 shallots
• ½ inch galangal
• ½ inch ginger
• 4 lemongrass stalks
• 3 tbsp water
Method:
- Wash the chicken pieces and drain well.
- Blend the garlic, shallots, galangal, ginger, lemongrass and water into a paste and set aside.
- In a bowl, marinade the chicken with the spice powders and blended mixture and set aside for a few hours or preferably overnight in the fridge.
- Heat cooking oil in a wok or pan. Make sure the oil is sufficient to cover the chicken. Deep fry the chicken pieces until it is golden brown (about 10 – 15 minutes).
- Remove the chicken and also the fried spiced crumbs using a strainer and drain off excess oil.
- Serve it hot.