Lemper Ayam (Sticky Rice with Shredded Chicken)

Lemper ayam is one of my favorite snacks. This savory snack consists of sticky rice (glutinous rice) flavored with coconut milk and filled with fragrant chicken floss and wrapped in banana leaves. Beside shredded chicken, you may also find them filled with fish or meat floss.

Sticky rice or glutinous rice is the main ingredients in this recipe. Heat 1 part of sticky rice, 1 part of coconut milk, and knotted pandan leave on medium heat. Keep stirring and cooking over low heat until all the liquid is absorbed. Steam the precooked rice for 30 minutes or until the rice is soft and cooked.

To make the filling, poached the boneless and skinless chicken fillet with salt, kaffir lime leaves, and lemongrass until chicken cooked through. Remove the chicken from the water and let it cool. When the fillets are not too hot to handle, shred the meat into thin pieces.

Then heat vegetable oil in a pan or wok, stir fry spice paste until fragrant. Add lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, shredded chicken, and coconut milk. Cook over low heat until the liquid is dried up, season with salt and sugar.

If you make this Lemper Ayam (Sticky Rice with Shredded Chicken), be sure to leave a comment and tag me on Instagram! Love to hear from you. Follow my Pinterest and Instagram to get more recipes and cooking ideas!

Related article: Stir-fry Pempek (Stir-fry Indonesian Fishcake)

Lemper Ayam (Sticky Rice with Shredded Chicken)

Ingredients

Sticky rice

• 500g sticky rice
• 250ml coconut milk
• 1 pandan leaves
• 1 lemongrass stalk
• salt to taste

Chicken filling

• 5 shallots
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 200g skinless and boneless chicken fillet
• 1 lemongrass
• 2 kaffir lime leaves
• 100 coconut milk
• salt and sugar to taste

Direction

Cook the sticky rice

• Using a strainer, rinse the sticky rice under cold, running water. Place the sticky rice in a large bowl, add water until rice covered with water and let it soak for at least 4 hours.
• Drain the sticky rice well and steam for about 30 minutes until the rice half cooked. Turn off the heat.
• Meanwhile, put the coconut milk, pandan leaves, and lemongrass in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until just boiled.
• Remove sticky rice from the steamer, slowly pour boiled coconut milk, season with a pinch of salt, and mix everything well until all the liquid absorbed.
• Put back sticky rice to a steamer and cook for another 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the sticky rice cool down.

Make the filling

• Using mortar and pestle or food processor blends the shallots and garlic until you got a smooth paste.
• Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over medium heat. Add spices paste, turmeric, coriander, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves, and cook, stirring occasionally until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
• Add shredded chicken, coconut milk, season with salt and sugar, stirring occasionally until all the liquid absorbed and the filling is dried up. Turn off the heat, taste, and adjust seasoning if needed.

To assemble

• Take a spoonful of sticky rice, flatten the rice, and put the filling in the center. Gather the edges of the rice over the filling, squeeze together the dough, pressing to seal the rice.
• Wrap the lemper with banana leaves and grill for few minutes until banana leaves are lightly toasted.