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Torch Ginger Shredded Chicken
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This delicious Torch Ginger Shredded Chicken is simply the most aromatic and delicious Asian chicken dish ever.
Torch Ginger Shredded Chicken or also known as “Ayam Suwir Kecombrang” is one of my favorite dishes! Shredded chicken is cooked with spices, chilis, aromatic torch ginger flowers, and drizzled with kaffir lime juice. The dish is aromatic with a complex combination of sweet, salty, spicy, and sour flavors. Simply delicious!
The Ingredients You Need
Here are what you need to make Torch Ginger Shredded Chicken:
- Chicken fillets – You can either use the thigh or breast part.
- Garlic – For aromatic flavor and aroma.
- Shallots – Shallots used in Southeast Asian cuisine tend to be small with a red exterior and white interior. Unlike western shallots which tend to be larger, Indonesian shallots are small and sweeter in flavor. The individual cloves resemble garlic cloves with pointed tapered ends.
- Lemongrass – Gives a citrus-like aroma to the dish.
- Kaffir lime leaves – Gives citrus flavor with a floral undertone.
- Galangal – It is used mainly for the aroma. It has a sweet, earthy, spicy smell with a shade of lemon and a trace of earthy pine needles.
- Curly Red Chilis – It is one of Indonesia’s local chili peppers with a medium level of spiciness. It is long in size with a curly and slim form. You can reduce the number of chilis for the less spicy version. Or substitute with bird’s eye chilis if you want the dish to be spicier.
- Torch ginger – The aromatic flower buds have a unique sweet and sour, piquant flavor with citrus-forward notes.
- Lime juice – The sour taste will blend the whole flavors together and making the dish addictive.
- Seasonings – Salt, sugar, and granulated mushroom bouillon.
A lot of spices are used in the dish. But they are really the secret ingredients to get more complex flavors and aroma from the recipe.
How To Make Torch Ginger Shredded Chicken
- Boil the chicken with garlic.
- Take out the cooked chicken. Shred the chicken with your hands or forks.
- In a big frying pan, stir fry garlic and shallots with oil until fragrant.
- Add lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and pounded chilis. Cook for a few minutes until the chilis are fully cooked.
- Add shredded chicken and thinly sliced torch gingers. Cook until the torch gingers wilt.
- Season with salt, sugar, and granulated mushroom bouillon.
- Turn off the heat and drizzle kaffir lime juice into the dish.
- Serve Torch Ginger Shredded Chicken with warm rice. Enjoy!
Torch Ginger Shredded Chicken
Servings: 6 -8
This delicious Torch Ginger Shredded Chicken is simply the most aromatic and delicious Asian chicken dish ever.
Ingredients
- 1.1 lbs (500 gr) thigh/breast chicken fillets
- 3 cloves garlic
Spices and Seasonings
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 10 shallots, thinly sliced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 stalk lemongrass, use the lower white part only
- 1 inch (2 cm) galangal
- 7 kaffir lime leaves, (3.5 joined leaves)
- 20 curly red chilis or cayenne peppers
- 2 torch ginger flower buds
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp granulated mushroom bouillon
- 3 tbsp water
- 2-3 small limes, halved
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken
- Boil chicken – Use the back of a knife to slightly mash 3 cloves of garlic. In a big pot, boil chicken and garlic until the chicken is fully cooked and no longer pink in the center.
- Drain water – Remove the chicken from the water and let rest until cool enough to handle.
- Shred the chicken with forks or your hands. Set aside.
Prepare the Spices
- Lemongrass & galangal – Place lemongrass and galangal on a chopping board. Using the back of a knife, mash them lightly to release the aromatic oils. Set aside.
- Curly red chilis – Cut the stems off the chilis. Chop the chilis into small parts. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the chilis until they are coarsely mashed. Keep working the pestle into the mortar using a turning and grinding motion. If you don't have mortar and pestle, use a food processor and pulse until the chilis are roughly chopped. Set aside.
- Torch gingers – Remove the outer hard petals of torch gingers. Cut the stalks and discard them. Cut torch gingers into half vertically. Using a knife, make a V cut and remove the hard core. Slice the torch ginger thinly with a knife. Set aside.
Assemble
- Saute aromatics – In a big frying pan, heat oil on medium heat. Add shallots and garlic to the pan. Cook until fragrant. Add lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and curly red chilis. Cook until the chilis are cooked for 3-4 minutes.
- Add shredded chicken and mix until well combined.
- Add torch gingers and cook until they wilt.
- Season with salt, sugar, and mushroom bouillon. Add water and stir until well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Turn off the heat.
- Add lime juice – Squeeze out the lime juice over the chicken if preferred. Mix until well combined.
- Serve with steaming rice.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 659mg | Potassium: 908mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 156IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 39mg
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