Ranie Saidi's Malay version of a chicken salad is a go-to for busy workdays. You can enjoy it hot or cold, with rice, bread or whatever greens you have on hand.
Don’t worry about the chilli base; it gives just the right amount of heat, cooked together with lemongrass and cherry tomatoes, all mixed with caramelized onions. The result is sticky, sweet and satisfying.
The trick, though, is finding the sweetest tomatoes you can. They really make this simple kerabu sing.
2.5-cm/1-inch piece of fresh ginger, sliced
350 g chicken breasts
SAMBAL
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 lemongrass stalks, thinly sliced
2 birds eye chillies, thinly sliced
1 red chilli, thinly sliced
2 small shallots, thinly sliced
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
juice of 1 lime
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander, to garnish
SERVES 1–2
Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil with the ginger slices, then reduce the heat. Gently lower the chicken breasts into the water and cook for 5–8 minutes over a low heat.
While the chicken breasts are cooking, prepare an ice bath in a bowl using cold water and a few ice cubes, or simply use very cold tap water.
Once the chicken breasts are cooked, quickly transfer them to the ice bath to stop them cooking further and leave for 5 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the water and use two forks to gently shred the meat. Set aside.
To prepare the sambal, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the lemongrass, chillies and shallots and fry for about 3–4 minutes until golden. Stir in the tomatoes and lime juice, cooking until the tomatoes break down and release their juices. Add the shredded chicken and mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper and finish with chopped coriander before serving with crusty sourdough bread, rice or your favourite grains.
This recipe is from The Malay Cook by Ranie Saidi. To get more great blog posts like this one - direct to your inbox – be sure to sign up to our mailing list here.