Today, I will share one of the classic Malaysian recipes- ayam percik.

It is chicken chunks marinated with a myriad of local spices, then cooked in coconut cream, followed by grilling to perfection. It is a popular dish, especially during the festive season, and is widely available at the Ramadan bazaar.

The unique taste is derived from the combination of the local spices (lemongrass, turmeric, etc. ) plus loads of coconut cream.

There are two types of ayam percik Kelantan, the white and red ayam percik. I will make the red version, which is spicier.

Not sure how to prepare ayam percik, but want to try it? Here is the tested recipe prepared with the oven. The classic method is to grill the chicken over charcoal, but the oven method is convenient for every household.

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Note: The name ayam percik could have been derived from the gravy that sputtered while being grilled on the open flame and the thickened basting liquid splashed on the chicken halfway through roasting. (Percik means to splash or splutter in Malay).

How to make ayam percik Kelantan

The preparation involved marinating the chicken, and cooking it in the spiced gravy until nearly cooked, then roasting it in the oven. Here are the detailed steps.

A. Marinate the chicken

The first step is to marinate the chicken pieces. You can use any chicken parts, but I prefer chicken thighs and drumsticks, which are best for ayam percik. You can also use chicken breasts if you prefer boneless.

1. Make a few shallow cuts at the thickest part of the meat to let the marinade penetrate effectively into the chicken pieces.
2. Rub the salt and turmeric powder into the chicken meat and rest for half a day to let the flavor penetrate the meat.

B. Prepare the ayam percik paste

1. Cut the dried chilies into short sections, remove the seeds, and soak them in hot water until they become soft. To simplify the cooking process, you can also purchase the ready-made chili paste (which is called chili boh in Malaysia and is available in the wet markets or grocery stores.)
2. Rough chop the garlic, ginger, fresh turmeric, and onion.
3. Blend all the ingredients with the food processor or blender with water to facilitate blending. Blend the ingredients until it becomes a thick and smooth paste.

Note:

If you do not have fresh turmeric, use turmeric powder as a substitute.

C. Cook the chicken in the sauce

The classic preparation method is to grill the chicken over an open fire after marinating. However, this method will take longer, so some cooks prefer to simmer the chicken in the gravy before grilling to save time.  This method is handy when preparing large quantities for a function.

My version is to cook it in the gravy first, then grill it. The gravy is then thickened and drizzled on the chicken before being served.

Prepare the lemongrass, tamarind juice, and palm sugar

1. Remove the outer sheath of the lemongrass and chop off the green section and the part near the root. The remaining part is the bulb of the lemongrass that is to be used to marinate the chicken. Bash the lemongrass with the blade of the cleaver and set it aside. We will use the lemongrass to cook the chicken later.
2. To prepare the tamarind juice, soak one tablespoon of tamarind pulp (asam Jawa) in hot water for ten minutes, then remove the pulp and seeds. Keep the juice for use in the subsequent step.
3. Shred some palm sugar for cooking the chicken.

Cook the chicken

1. Place the spice paste (prepared in section B) in a large skillet or wok. Cook it with some vegetable oil over low to medium heat until it thickens and changes color to slightly red.
2. Add the coconut cream, coriander powder, palm sugar, and salt and simmer over low heat.
3. Include the bashed lemongrass.
4. Add the chicken to the sauce. Add more water to braise the chicken over medium heat for about ten to fifteen minutes until the liquids thicken and the chicken pieces are almost cooked.
5. Remove the chicken pieces from the ayam percik sauce.
6. Add the tamarind juice and more coconut cream, then continue cooking the sauce over low heat until it is reduced to become a thick gravy.

Note:

• If you can’t take the dried chili’s heat, boil it in water for a few minutes before blending it with other ingredients. You can use more dried this way to get a strong chili flavor minus the intense heat.
• Some recipes include belacan and cumin powder, using lime instead of tamarind juice. These are options that you can take according to your preference.
• You can use the store-bought tamarind paste as a substitute if you cannot get the raw tamarind pulp.
• Use brown sugar if you do not have palm sugar. I prefer palm sugar as it has a unique aroma.
• Alternatively, steam the chicken for ten minutes before roasting if you do not want to cook it in the sauce.

D. Grill the chicken

The best way to make ayam percik is to cook it over a charcoal grill. However, I toast it with my oven in my apartment.

1. After removing the chicken from the gravy, place the chicken legs on the wire rack and apply the thick gravy on both sides.
2. Pop them into the oven at 210°C/410°F for eight minutes.
3. Remove the chicken from the oven. By now, the gravy should have dried out. Apply more gravy and return the chicken to the oven.
4. Repeat the same process four times. After the last round of applying the gravy, return to the oven and roast until the chicken develops charred marks and turns golden brown. 
5. Arrange the chicken on the serving plate and decorate with raw onion rings, lime, and coriander leaves. Spoon the thick gravy on top of the chicken. Serve with more chili sauce and sambal oelek.

Note:

Applying thick gravy on the chicken while grilling enables more flavor to absorb into the chicken.

Other roast chicken recipes

Some other chicken recipes on this food blog are made in the oven. Here are my picks:

• Oven baked tandoori chicken.  The flavor is the magical symphony of spices interplaying with each other that tantalizes all senses. It is a must-order dish whenever I patronize my favorite Indian restaurant.
• Char Siu chicken. This simple recipe creates a taste of the Cantonese-style char siu sold in the restaurant. All you need is to combine the ingredients, marinate the chicken overnight, and then roast it to perfection.