Learn how to make the best Indonesian opor ayam at your very own kitchen without much fuss using Instant Pot or on the stove.
Opor ayam is one of the popular Javanese chicken dishes. Opor refers to the method of cooking/braising in coconut milk. Opor is almost similar to sayur lodeh, or gulai such as gulai nangka or gulai telur, gulai tempeh, but not quite the same. Opor usually has a pale appearance (because of the coconut milk).
Traditional opor ayam is prepared by deep-frying the chicken pieces and then cooked in the coconut milk and spices. I didn’t deep fry the chicken and let the chicken just simmer in the aromatics and coconut milk. This dish is deeply flavorful from the spices and the creaminess of the coconut milk is simply wonderful. It’s a great dish one-pot dish that kids to adults usually enjoy in Indonesia.
You may see varieties of opor ayam that is more “pale” in color (don’t let the color fools you) and some have yellow tinge to it. Turmeric is responsible for the color. I have made both with and without. This recipe here is without turmeric in it.
HOW TO MAKE OPOR AYAM WITH INSTANT POT
I seriously love my Instant Pot because it makes life easier and super convenient.
1. Press saute on Instant Pot. When it’s hot, add cooking oil. Add the ground paste and stir fry until it’s fragrant. Keep stirring to prevent catching at the bottom of the pot
2. Add lemongrass, lime leaves and bay leaves and stir fry for another minute
3. Add chicken pieces and chicken broth
4. Turn off saute mode. Cover the lid. Turn the steam release valve to “sealing”. Press “pressure cooker” and make sure it’s on “high pressure”. Set timer to 12 minutes
5. When it’s done cooking, wait 5 minutes and then fully release the pressure
6. Stir in the coconut milk and let the residual heat continue to warm it up. Season with salt and/or sugar to your taste
7. Add hard-boiled eggs. Proceed to serve
8. Sprinkle with bawang goreng and serve immediately
WHAT TO SERVE WITH OPOR AYAM
They are usually served with lontong/ketupat, for example for lontong cap go meh or just with rice.
POSSIBLE OPOR VARIATIONS
Other meat: beef (opor daging), duck (opor bebek)
Meatless version: tofu (opor tahu), eggs (opor telur)
DID YOU MAKE THIS OPOR AYAM RECIPE?
I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag to show me what you’ve made 🙂 Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
Opor Ayam (Instant Pot or On The Stove)
Ingredients
- 3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (leg quarters, drum stick, thighs)
Ground ingredients:
- 4 cloves garlic
- 5 shallots peeled
- 4 kemiri/candlenuts or use about 10 macadamia nuts
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 Tbsp galangal powder
- 1 inch ginger peeled
Other ingredients:
- 3 Tbsp oil
- 5 Kaffir lime leaves tear edges to release flavor
- 5 bay leaves
- 2 lemon grass stems fleshy part bruised
- 4 cups chicken stock 6 cups if you cook on the stove
- 1 cup thick coconut milk
- 4 hard-boiled eggs
Seasonings:
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp Salt or more to taste
Serve with:
- Crispy fried shallots / bawang goreng for garnish
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients for grinding in a food processor and rocess into a paste. If you use powdered spices, you don't need to grind those.
Cooking with Instant Pot:
- Press saute on Instant Pot. When it's hot, add cooking oil. Add the ground paste and stir fry until it's fragrant. Keep stirring to prevent catching at the bottom of the pot. Add lemongrass, lime leaves and bay leaves. Add chicken pieces, chicken broth, and seasonings
- Turn off saute mode. Cover the lid. Turn the steam release valve to "sealing". Press "pressure cooker" and make sure it's on "high pressure". Set timer to 12 minutes. Wait 5 minutes and then fully release the pressure
- Stir in the coconut milk and let the residual heat continue to warm it up. Have a taste and adjust seasonings to suit your taste. Add hard-boiled eggs. Proceed to serve step below
Cooking on the stove:
- Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or pot and fry the paste to bring out the flavor. Do not allow it to brown. Add lemongrass, lime leaves, and bay leaves. Add chicken pieces, chicken broth, and seasonings
- Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and let it simmer for about 30-40 minutes until the chicken is tender. Stir the mixture occasionally during cooking. Add hard-boiled eggs. Stir in coconut milk. Do not let it comes to a boil, just let it gently simmer for another 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings to suit your taste. Remove from the heat
Serving:
- Sprinkle with bawang goreng and serve immediately
