Javanese Grilled Chicken Thighs in Turmeric Paste and Sweet Soy Glaze

What you need

• 1 kg (2.2 lb) bone-in chicken thighs, skin on, about 8 small
• 6 shallots, peeled, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 candlenuts, or macadamia nuts
• 3 cm (1 in) fresh turmeric, peeled
• 2 cm (3/4 in) fresh ginger, peeled
• 2 Thai chilies, or to taste
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 3 cm (1 in) galangal, bruised
• 1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, bruised and knotted
• 2 leaves Indonesian bay leaves
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp palm sugar, or coconut sugar
• 5 tbsp kecap manis, sweet soy sauce, 4 for the pot and 1 for glazing
• 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) water
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 lime, cut in wedges, for serving

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Blend the shallots, garlic, candlenuts, turmeric, ginger, chilies and coriander seeds into a fine paste, adding a splash of water if the blades stall.

2. 2

   Heat the oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat.

3. 3

   Fry the paste with the galangal, lemongrass and bay leaves until fragrant and the raw smell is gone, about 3 min.

4. 4

   Stir in the palm sugar, 4 tbsp of the kecap manis and the salt.

5. 5

   Add the chicken and turn it until every piece is coated.

6. 6

   Pour in the water, cover and turn the heat down to moderate.

7. 7

   Simmer for 30-35 min, turning the pieces once, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reduced to a thick coating.

8. 8

   Heat a grill or the oven broiler to high.

9. 9

   Lift the chicken out of the sauce and mix the last 1 tbsp of kecap manis into the remaining sauce for a glaze.

10. 10

    Grill the chicken 4-5 min per side, brushing with the glaze, until lightly charred. It must be cooked through, with no pink at the bone and 74 °C (165 °F) inside.

11. 11

    Serve hot with lime wedges and any leftover sauce spooned over.

Imported from cookmeindonesian.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.