Ayam Masak Merah — Red-Cooked Chicken Drumsticks

Ingredients

• 2½ lb Chicken Drumsticks, bone-in pieces
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 cup Green Peas
• 8 dried red chilies, soaked
• 6 shallots
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 inch ginger
• 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised
• 4 tbsp neutral oil
• 5 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 2 tomatoes, puréed
• 3 tbsp palm sugar
• ½ cup coconut milk
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 star anise
• 1 onion, in rings

Method

1. Rub the Chicken Drumsticks with the turmeric and a teaspoon of salt, then shallow-fry in half the oil until golden on all sides, 8 minutes. Set aside — it will finish cooking in the sauce.
2. Blend the chilies, shallots, garlic, and ginger into a paste and fry it in the remaining oil with the lemongrass, cinnamon, and star anise for 10 minutes, until dark and glossy with separated oil.
3. Add the ketchup, tomato purée, and palm sugar and cook 5 minutes until the mixture is thick and jammy.
4. Return the Chicken Drumsticks with ½ cup water, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, turning the pieces, until they read 175°F (79°C) at the bone.
5. Stir in the coconut milk, Green Peas, and onion rings and cook 5 minutes uncovered until the sauce clings tightly to each piece. Serve with nasi tomato or plain rice.