Tum Ayam @ Steamed Wrapped Chicken

Tum ayam is one of the many famous delicacies of Bali, which the chicken meat is being steamed together with some really fragrant and flavourful spices and also with coconut milk. Just imagine how delicious it is! Some may also use duck meat. Well, you ....of course, may as well grill them. Tum ayam is quite similar to one of our local delicacies called otak-otak @ steamed wrapped fish, which is very famous around the Northern part of Johor.

Ingredients :
500gm chicken fillet, sliced into strips
2 tspn tamarind paste
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 tbsp shallots, minced
1/2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 red chili, thinly sliced
1/2 cup thick coconut milk
1/2 tspn salt
2 kaffir leaves, thinly sliced
# 4 banana leaf sheets (9 x 6 in) ~ softened in hot water for wrapping

Ingredients for blended paste :
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tspn black peppercorns
4 toasted candle nuts, crashed
2 red chilies
4 shallots
3 cloves garlic
1 stalk lemongrass, thinly sliced (bottom white part)
1 tspn turmeric powder
1 inch fresh galangal/ginger root, thinly sliced
1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tspn salt
(blend all ingredients into fine paste)



Method :
(1) preheat a frying pan with cooking oil.
(2) stir in blended paste and simmer over medium heat till fragrant.
(3) remove paste from frying pan and leave to cool.
(4) in a big bowl, place in chicken fillet and all other ingredients included cooled blended paste, then mix well.
(5) wrap mixture with banana leaves and seal nicely.
(6) then steam for about 15-20 mins.