Indonesian Soto Ayam

Indonesian soto ayam was one of my favorite "comfort" food when we lived in Jakarta many years ago. You know, like all comfort food, there are many versions, some of which are tastier while others are best forgotten.

The version served at Hotel Borobudur was particularly memorable.  After tasting the delectable soto ayam there, we couldn't find another elsewhere that was as tasty.  Oh, not to forget, if you are there, you should also try Borobudur's famous but sinfully fat-laden sup buntut!

Yes, Indonesia holds many fond memories for us.  We relished their tempe, ikan bandeng, Nyonya Suharti chicken, and the incomparable ayam panggang from Medan!

So when the craving for Indonesian fare strikes, we decided on a meal of soto ayam and found many recipes on the net. 

I decided to adapt the recipe for Indonesian Soto Ayam given by Salt&Tumeric at her blog.  Her soto ayam recipe is unusual in that cardamon is not specified in other recipes for soto ayam that I found.

I did not have any cardamon in the pantry and wanted to substitute with another spice. But after googling for info, I found that cardamon is a unique spice with no substitute: either you use it or skip it totally. So in the end I went to the supermart and bought a small packet of green cardamons for S$1.90.

After cooking the dish, I totally agree: cardamon gives a unique aroma that lingers in the air, like a perfume. The whole kitchen smelt heavenly, something I was unaware of previously - though I have used cardamon before, as in the recipe for nasi briyani.

But this time I decided to crush the cardamon pods in a mortar, and spill the tiny cardamon seeds and split pods into the hot oil.

As I fried the spice mix, I didn't smell anything unusual at first, except the usual nice aroma from the cinnamon and star anise. I added the onion, ginger, garlic paste. And continued with the rest of the recipe. Then, as the soto ayam began to simmer for 25-30 minutes I began to notice the whole kitchen filled with a wonderful, enticing aroma ! I suspect cardamon is probably what gives this recipe an unforgettable aroma!

Green cardamon gives more flavor than black cardamon, and that is the type you should buy. Keep the green cardamons in the fridge. In our humid climate the green pods won't keep long without tiny bugs soon helping themselves to the pods, like they would with any open box of plain flour.

Speaking of which, don't ever buy unsealed flour that comes in a cereal-type box. I opened one such box to find tiny mites crawling in the corn meal that I had bought the month earlier! There was nothing I could do except throw the whole box down the chute.

Then I opened a Prima box of plain flour, and was pleased to see the flour sealed in a plastic bag! Despite keeping that box unopened in the pantry for 3 months - a bad habit - there were no bugs because the flour was in a sealed plastic bag.

After the pleasant acquaintance with cardamon, I will try the cardamon bread given by a reader on a forum. And report how it turns out after I have tried it.

Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs
2 big red onions (more flavorful than the white or yellow ones)
6-7 garlic (cloves)
2-inch yellow ginger
4-spices (1 star anise seed, 3 cloves, 3 green cardamon & 1-inch cinnamon stick) - split the cardamon pods in a mortar or use your the handle of your cleaver to expose the tiny seeds
6 cups water
2 dry tbl coconut cream powder (original recipe called for 1/3 cup fresh coconut milk, if you have)
Salt and sugar to taste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Method:

Blend the onion, garlic and ginger to get a smooth paste, adding a bit of cooking oil if necessary.

Fry the 4-spices in a wok until fragrant. Add in the onion. garlic, ginger paste and fry continuously until fragrant.

Add in the chicken thighs and fry for a minute to seal in the juices.  Then add the water and let it boil under a gentle flame for 25-30 min.

Take the chicken out and let them cool.  When cool, shred the chicken thighs into strips and add them to the kwali.  Next, add coconut milk and season with salt and sugar.

Simmer on a gentle flame for another 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, soak the washed rice vermicelli in hot water for 10 minutes.  Pull enough into a bowl, topped with under-cooked bean sprouts. 

Undercooked sprouts? Yes, I like my sprouts to be crunchy, so I microwave the bean sprouts, quantity depending on the serving size, for 25 sec.  My oven is rated at 800W.  If your oven is 1000W, use less time for the sprouts.  25 seconds still give the sprouts a slightly raw taste.  But when the hot soto is poured onto them, the sprouts will become cooked just right - crunchy with a capital C !

Finally, ladle into the bowl the hot soto ayam, and enjoy!

Not for the purist: I also chopped up 2 carrots, 4 potatoes, 2 tomatoes and threw them into the pot. Why? Because they are left-overs and available.  If I don't use them, they will probably go to waste.