Pongteh Chicken 娘惹鸡
Pongteh Chicken is a classic Peranakan dish with chicken and potatoes braised in a rich taucu gravy. Savoury, comforting and perfect with rice.
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Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 3 pieces whole chicken legs, cut into 6-8 pieces (3 to 4 whole legs)
- 3 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 tbsp soybean paste, chopped
- 1 onion, peeled and cut into pieces
- 10 shallots, peeled and cut into pieces
- 2 whole garlic, peeled and cut into pieces
- 2 cups water
Seasonings:
- 30 gram palm sugar, 1 tbsp
- ½ tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp ground white pepper
- ½ tsp dark soy sauce
Prepare ingredients needed to make the dish.
Have ready the seasonings and some palm sugar.
To start, first chop whole chicken legs into big pieces, each whole leg into 2 pieces is ideal.
Then clean, peel and cut potatoes into chunks.
Next peel shallots, onion and garlic. Then cut into smaller pieces for blending.
Put the cut shallots, onion and garlic in a blender. Add some water and blend until fine.
Shave the palm sugar into tiny pieces and set aside before cooking. And we are ready to cook the dish.
Heat oil in a wok. Add potatoes and deep fry till slightly golden brown. Remove and drained well.
Heat ½ cup oil in wok. Stir fry blended ingredients and soybean paste till liquid dries up, fragrant and oil surfaced.
Next add in the chicken pieces. Stir fry until the sauce is well mixed into the chicken. Then add in the seasonings and stir to mix well.
Next add in water and bring to a boil. Then add the chopped palm sugar. Stir to mix well. Put on the lid and simmer for 15 minutes over medium heat.
Then add in fried potatoes. Continue to simmer for another 15 minutes over medium heat.
Open the lid and turn to high heat. Cook until the sauce thickened. And we are done!
Transfer the chicken together with the sauce onto a serving bowl and served immediately.
This rich, savoury sweet and quite hearty pongteh chicken is best served with steamed white rice. This jasmine rice is just perfect to soak up the creamy sauce. So enjoy!
Instructions
Prepare Ingredients:
Cooking Pongteh Chicken:
Enjoy!
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Recipe Video
Notes
- Choose the right part of chicken. Use drumsticks, whole chicken legs or thighs. Avoid using breast meat as it turns dry after cooking. Cut the chicken into large chunks so they don't break during braising.
- Do not skip frying the aromatics. Fry the blended garlic, onion and shallots slowly in oil till lightly golden. Then add soybean paste and fry until fragrant and slightly oily. This will deepens the colour of sauce and gives that classic peranakan aroma.
- Potatoes are a must for this dish. The best types are Russet/yellow potatoes. Cut the potatoes into large chunks. Deep fry before braising. This helps to hold its shape and absorb sauce.
- Liquid control is very important. Add just enough water to just cover ingredients. Too much liquid will result in diluted flavour. The sauce should be thick and clingy, not soupy.
- Braise the chicken slowly. Bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Do not cook on high heat throughout.
- Pongteh should be savoury, slightly sweet and not spicy. If at the end, it is too salty, add water or potato. If not sweet enough, add rock sugar or palm sugar in small amount.
NUTRITION
Calories: 225kcal · Carbohydrates: 51g · Protein: 6g · Fat: 0.4g · Saturated Fat: 0.1g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g · Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g · Cholesterol: 1mg · Sodium: 400mg · Potassium: 936mg · Fiber: 7g · Sugar: 14g · Vitamin A: 7IU · Vitamin C: 39mg · Calcium: 57mg · Iron: 2mg