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Meat, South and Southeast Asian

Ayam rica-rica with rice

Ayam rica-rica is an Indonesian simmered chicken dish, serving 4 in 50 minutes, rated easy, at €2.80 per person. The key is the paste of shallots, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and chile, cooked down thoroughly before the chicken goes back in to simmer with the tomatoes.

A chile chicken that doesn't hold back, ayam rica-rica, lifted with shallots, lemongrass and ginger, served with rice.

Ayam rica-rica with rice
Total time
50 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€2.80
Calories per person
490 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Ayam rica-rica is chicken simmered in a fragrant paste of shallots, garlic, ginger and lemongrass, with fresh chile bringing real heat without burying the other flavors. The tomatoes break down into the sauce and add a light tang, and a squeeze of lime at the end rounds everything out. The chicken skin, browned well in the pan before simmering, keeps some bite under the sauce.

This is a dish for an evening when you have a bit of time, the kind of recipe that fills the whole kitchen with its smell while it cooks. You can adjust the chile depending on who's at the table, kids can eat the same meal as everyone else if you remove the seeds. Served over basmati rice to soak up the sauce, it's a full dinner that breaks the routine without complicating life for whoever's cooking.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Chicken thighs or drumsticks 8

Fruits and vegetables

  • Shallots 6
  • Garlic 4 cloves
  • Fresh ginger 30 g
  • Lemongrass 2
  • Fresh red chiles 3
  • Tomatoes 2
  • Lime 1

Pantry

  • Basmati riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Sugaroften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Neutral oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch

The step by step recipe

  1. Blend the shallots, garlic, ginger, chiles and chopped lemongrass into a thick paste.

    Remove the chile seeds for a milder dish.

  2. Brown the chicken in a large skillet with half the oil. 10 min

    Turn the pieces only once, the skin should get a good golden color.

  3. Remove the chicken, cook the paste in the remaining oil until it smells strong and the oil separates out. 7 min

    Lower the heat partway through, the paste burns fast.

  4. Add the chicken back, add the tomatoes cut into wedges, the sugar, the salt and half a glass of water. Cover and let it cook. 25 min

    Turn the chicken halfway through cooking so it soaks up the sauce.

  5. Cook the rice, squeeze the lime over the chicken and serve. 12 min

    Lime juice at the end softens the chile heat.

Our tips to get it right

  • Chop the lemongrass finely before blending it, otherwise tough fibers survive the blender and end up in the paste.
  • Let the paste cook until the oil actually separates at the edges of the pan, that's the sign the aromatics are developed and the raw taste is gone.
  • Use thighs or drumsticks rather than breasts, the long simmer keeps dark meat moist while breast meat would dry out.

The variations

  • Swap the chicken for pork chunks or monkfish, adjusting the simmering time to the protein you choose.
  • For a vegetarian version, use blocks of tempeh or firm tofu browned in the pan, with the simmering time cut down to 15 minutes.
  • For kids sensitive to spice, leave the chiles out of the paste entirely and serve a dab of chile sauce on the side for the adults.

What to serve it with

  • Basmati rice or plain white rice
  • Sliced fresh cucumber
  • Iced lemon tea

Storage

Ayam rica-rica keeps for 3 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container, and the flavor actually improves the next day. It freezes well for up to 2 months, reheat gently in a pan or saucepan with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.

Questions about this dish

Can you make ayam rica-rica ahead of time?

Yes, it's actually recommended. Make it the day before and reheat gently, the shallot, ginger and lemongrass flavors spread further into the sauce after a night in the fridge.

What if I don't have fresh lemongrass?

You can use frozen lemongrass or the paste from a tube, or a bit of lime zest for a similar note. The flavor will be slightly less intense but the dish will still work.

How do you tone down the spice for kids?

Remove the seeds and white membranes from the chiles before blending, that's where most of the heat sits. You can also split the paste in two and only spice one portion for the adults.

Does this dish freeze well?

Yes, ayam rica-rica freezes very well for up to 2 months. Freeze the chicken with its sauce, without the rice, and reheat on low heat, adding a little water if the sauce has thickened.

How long does it take to make an ayam rica-rica, Indonesian spicy chicken with shallots and lemongrass, served with rice?

Count 50 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in an ayam rica-rica, Indonesian spicy chicken with shallots and lemongrass, served with rice?

About 490 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does an ayam rica-rica, Indonesian spicy chicken with shallots and lemongrass, served with rice cost?

About €2.80 per serving, or €11.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains none of the major allergens tracked by Mon Chou. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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