Indonesian-style Soto Ayam - a warm remedy for the soul
the ultimate Indonesian warung dish for any day of the week
if you’ve only eaten in Mee Soto in Singapore, you’ve been missing out on the countless varieties of Soto that you can get in the streets Indonesia. Soto almost always comes in the form of a hearty, comforting soup and its variations differ in terms of the spices used and the type of meat which goes into them.
Soto Lamongan, although originating from the province of Lamongan in East Java, is one of the more popular styles of soto which can be found across the country. It’s notable for its clarity and subtle flavour and is usually served with either rice/bean noodles, rice or lontong (rice cakes).
Traditionally, the base flavour of a Soto Ayam comes from simmering the chicken bones for hours to extract its flavour, however, the use of KNORR No Added MSG Chicken Stock Cubes allows a shorter cooking time, creating a flavourful broth with a natural taste of chicken.
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Soto Ayam Lamongan (Lamongan-style Chicken Noodle Soup)
serves 6
900g whole chicken
5 lemongrass, bruised
35 g galangal, bruised
5 Indonesian bay leaves (daun salam)
12 kaffir lime leaves
2 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp white pepper powder
1 piece KNORR No Added MSG Chicken Stock Cube
6 x 100g bean / rice vermicelli, soaked in water until soft
3 litres water
3 tbsp oil
Salt, to taste
spice paste (bumbu soto):
12 shallots, peeled
8 cloves garlic, peeled
5 candlenuts, lightly toasted
25g ginger, peeled
30g turmeric root, peeled
20g sand ginger (kencur)
boiled sambal:
5 large red chillies
3 chilli padi
3 cloves garlic, peeled
Salt, to taste
condiments:
2 stalks chinese celery, chopped
200g round cabbage, sliced thin
½ cup fried shallots
3 boiled eggs
2 limes, wedged
directions:
In a large soup pot, put together the chicken and 1 tbsp of salt and bring to a boil. Skim off the scum from the surface and bring the heat down to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
Combine all the blended ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat, saute the blended spice paste. Add in galangal, lime leaves, daun salam Stir constantly until fragrant, about 10-12 minutes.
After the chicken has been simmering for 30 minutes, pour the fried spice paste into the chicken soup. Add in Knorr No Added MSG chicken stock cubes along with coriander powder and white pepper powder. Simmer, covered, for another 45 minutes or until the chicken is fork tender. Adjust the salt according to taste.
Strain out the chicken, let it come to room temperature before shredding it into pieces. Discard the bones and set aside.
Pass the broth through a strainer and return it to the pot to simmer before serving.
To make the sambal, blanch sambal ingredients in boiling water for 2 minutes before straining. Using a mortar and pestle, pound to a chunky paste.
To assemble, blanch the bean vermicelli briefly in boiling water. Place in a bowl and pour in the hot Soto broth.
Garnish with fried shallots, boiled sambal, cabbage, a lime wedge and a half a boiled egg. Top with celery leaves.
Enjoy while it’s hot!