Indonesian Spiced Chicken Soup (Soto Ayam Kudus)

The recipe is from my mum whom originally from Kudus - a small city in Central Java
This city has the most authentic soto ayam ever - hence the name 'Soto Ayam Kudus'
Singapore does have its own version which is slightly different in taste

What you need:

For the soup:

1 tsp coriander seeds - pounded

5 shallots, 2 cloves of garlic - cut

4 candlenuts - cut thinly

yellow ginger (approx thumb size) - put directly on fire for a fe minutes til the skin slightly burnt, off heat, let cool and peel the skin, wash clean and pound lightly

All the ingredients above to put in food processor til forming smooth paste

Heat a little oil on frying pan, pour in the paste, add in 3 tbsp of thick coconut milk and 6 tbsp of water - mix well and simmer for approx 5minutes

Boil a pot of water with 1 chicken breast and pour the fried paste above - mix well, bring to boil and simmer for 30minutes, off heat

Take out the cooked chicken and tear apart to thin cut - set aside

Prepare and set aside:

*2 handful of beansprout - blanched

*2 handful of bean vermicelli (tunghoon) - soaked in hot water to soften

*3 eggs - hard boiled and cut

*fried onion (I bought packed ready to eat)

*fried garlic (I cut thinly 10 cloves of garlic and fry in a lot of oil on low heat til golden in color)

*2 large lime - cut

*fresh coriander - cut small

*dark sweet soya sauce (kecap manis)

For chilli sauce:

5 large red chillies - blanched and cut

salt, sugar

===> Pulse two times (not so smooth)

This makes a non spicy chilli sauce, to add the spiciness you may add 2 bird eye's chillies

How to eat...

On a serving plate, arrange rice, tunghoon, chicken, eggs, beansprout

Pour the soup over

Sprinkle with fried onion, fried garlic, fresh coriander cut, a dash of juice from the lime cut, and kecap manis

Mix everything and add chilli sauce

Best to eat with prawn crackers or any other cracker

If you see in the pic above, I made quail egg on stick

That is so yummy when you eat together with the soup

This is how to prepare:

===> Boil quail eggs for 10minutes approx, drain and peel

In a small pot, boil the peeled eggs together with 2 crushed cloves of garlic, water, palm sugar, a little tamarind sauce (I mixed seedless tamarind with a little water), salt, and dark sweet soya sauce (if not dark enough)

Bring to boil and simmer for  15minutes - off heat and leave the mixture on the pot

Only drain when it's time to consume

Best to prepare a day before to get the perfect taste

This soup is also excellent to eat with bergedil (we Indonesians call it 'perkedel')

A lot of preparation but it's all worth it :)