soto ayam

soto ayam is a yellow, spicy chicken soup served with thin noodles (vermicilli) and a variety of other toppings. the broth is flavorful and quite tangy, from the lemongrass and lime leaves used.

while i was in indonesia last week, i was shown how to properly make it. i've made it before back in canada, but i used a pre-made paste, so that doesn't really count. the process is quite time-consuming, so this is not a meal you would cook very often. maybe more of a special occasion or for when guests come over. the lady who taught me says she never makes it just for her and her husband.





ingredients to go into the paste:
- turmeric (kunyit)
- ginger (jahe)
- red onion (bawang merah)
- garlic (bawang putih)
- candlenut (kemiri)



blend the paste with some water. fry the paste with a few stalks of lemongrass (serai) and lime leaves (daun jeruk).



add water to the fried paste and boil the chicken in the soup. once the chicken is cooked, remove, drain, fry, and shred. keep the soup.

now for the soup toppings:



1. slice potatoes really thin, and deep fry.








2. deep fry emping (a chip made from a dried, smashed nut)

3. chop up cabbage:



4. soak bean sprouts (tauge) in water

5. soak the vermicilli in water

6. chop up green onion (daun bawang)

7. boil eggs, peel and chop:



8. slice little limes (jeruk nipis) - hard to find these in canada

9. chop up celery leaves

10. put fried shallots in a bowl

11. chilli paste (i don't use this, i'm a wimp when it comes to spice)

put noodles, and everything else in your bowl and ladle soup on top. ta da!