Indonesian Ayam Goreng Kalasan
No batter at all: chicken braised in garlic, coriander, palm sugar and coconut water until the liquid cooks away, then fried briefly until the sweet-savory skin turns deep golden.
Ayam goreng simply means fried chicken in Indonesian and Malay. Wikipedia notes that Indonesian fried chicken usually relies on spices such as turmeric and garlic rather than flour, and is usually cooked in the spice mixture first, a step called ungkep in Javanese, before it is deep-fried; Southern US-style breaded chicken is called ayam goreng tepung, flour fried chicken. Ayam goreng kalasan is named for Kalasan, near Yogyakarta in Java, which Wikipedia describes as a village and Cook Me Indonesian's Nunuk Sri Rahayu as the district of the 8th-century Buddhist temple Candi Kalasan. Patricia Tanumihardja, in "Mortar and Pestle: Classic Indonesian Recipes for the Modern Kitchen" (2024), calls this kind of braise-then-fry chicken bacem, a Central Javanese technique of cooking with coconut water and palm sugar until the liquid reduces.
Why it works the kitchen science
Cook first, fry second
Braising in the spice paste seasons the chicken all the way through and cooks it, so the fry only has to crisp and color the skin.
Coconut water and palm sugar
They make the meat tender and slightly sweet, and as the liquid reduces the sugar coats the skin so it caramelizes in the hot oil.
Step by step
- Step 1
Blend the garlic, coriander seeds and palm sugar in a blender or food processor into a smooth paste, scraping down the sides.
- Step 2
Put the chicken in a wide pan, add the salt and rub the paste all over every piece.
- Step 3
Pour in the coconut water and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Cover, lower the heat to low and cook 20 minutes, turning the pieces once.
- Step 4
Uncover and cook 10 to 15 minutes more, turning often, until the liquid has cooked away into a sticky glaze and the chicken is cooked through (165°F). If the sugar starts to catch before the chicken is done, add a splash of water.
- Step 5
Lift the chicken onto a rack and let it rest at least 10 minutes. (Or cool it, refrigerate it overnight and fry it the next day.)
- Step 6
Heat 2 inches of oil in a wok or deep pot to 350°F. Fry the chicken a few pieces at a time 3 to 5 minutes, turning once, until deep golden brown; the sugar browns fast, so watch it. Drain on a rack.
- Step 7
Serve with steamed rice, sambal and raw vegetables.
Indonesian Ayam Goreng Kalasan
Serves 4 · 8 pieces · 1 hr 10 min total
Spice paste
- 10 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds
- 3 1/2 oz palm sugar (gula jawa), chopped, or 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Chicken
- 1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 lb), cut into 8 pieces
- 1/2 cup coconut water (or plain water)
- Vegetable oil, about 2 inches deep, for frying
To serve
- Steamed rice, sambal, and sliced cucumber, cabbage or other raw vegetables
Method
- Blend the garlic, coriander seeds and palm sugar in a blender or food processor into a smooth paste, scraping down the sides.
- Put the chicken in a wide pan, add the salt and rub the paste all over every piece.
- Pour in the coconut water and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Cover, lower the heat to low and cook 20 minutes, turning the pieces once.
- Uncover and cook 10 to 15 minutes more, turning often, until the liquid has cooked away into a sticky glaze and the chicken is cooked through (165°F). If the sugar starts to catch before the chicken is done, add a splash of water.
- Lift the chicken onto a rack and let it rest at least 10 minutes. (Or cool it, refrigerate it overnight and fry it the next day.)
- Heat 2 inches of oil in a wok or deep pot to 350°F. Fry the chicken a few pieces at a time 3 to 5 minutes, turning once, until deep golden brown; the sugar browns fast, so watch it. Drain on a rack.
- Serve with steamed rice, sambal and raw vegetables.
Adapted from Nunuk Sri Rahayu, "Ayam Goreng Kalasan (Kalasan Fried Chicken)", Cook Me Indonesian (April 7, 2020), her mother's recipe, as written for 4. Her recipe gives no salt amount, braising time, oil amount or oil temperature; the 1 1/2 tsp salt, the covered braise of about 35 minutes, the 350°F oil and the 3 to 5 minute fry are ours. The technique matches Patricia Tanumihardja's description of bacem (ckbk, from her 2024 book). We could not open a full recipe from a larger publisher (see What we could not source). cookmeindonesian.com. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (3)
Tips
- Nunuk Sri Rahayu says chilling the braised chicken overnight lets the spices soak in further, and it means frying day takes 15 minutes.
- Palm sugar is sold in blocks at Asian markets; shave it with a knife.
- Keep the oil at 350°F, not hotter, or the sugary skin darkens before it crisps.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- Fried chicken needs a batter. Documented as not true in Indonesia: Wikipedia says Indonesian ayam goreng usually uses spices rather than flour, and calls breaded chicken ayam goreng tepung.
- Precook in spices before frying. Documented as the usual method (Wikipedia's ungkep; Tanumihardja's bacem).
- Kalasan is in Central Java. Disputed wording: Cook Me Indonesian places it in Central Java; Wikipedia says Kalasan village, Yogyakarta.
- Coconut water is the secret. Folklore with support: Nunuk Sri Rahayu calls it the key to tender, lightly sweet meat; her own recipe allows plain water.
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