andrejthechef
IndonesiaGrillDinnerGluten-freeDairy-free

Ayam Taliwang

Grilled chicken from Lombok, coated in a fiery chili and shrimp-paste sauce, traditionally served with plecing kangkung, water spinach in sambal.

prep
25 min
cook
30 min
total
55 min
serves
4
level
medium
Ayam Taliwang, a dish from Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara

Taliwang is a neighborhood in Lombok known for its chicken, grilled then coated in a chili and shrimp-paste sauce bright enough and hot enough that Lombok cooking has a reputation for being some of the spiciest in the country.

Plecing kangkung is the fixed partner to this dish, not an optional side. Its raw, sharp chili dressing is a different texture and heat than the glaze on the chicken, and the two are meant to be eaten together.

Part of our 20 best Indonesian recipes list.

method

  1. Rub the spatchcocked chicken with salt and grill it over medium-hot charcoal, or roast at 200°C (390°F), for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once, until mostly cooked through.

  2. Blend the chilies, shallots, garlic, tomato and shrimp paste into a smooth, bright red paste.

  3. Fry the paste in the oil for 6 to 8 minutes, until it darkens slightly and the oil separates. Stir in the palm sugar and a pinch of salt.

  4. Brush or spoon the chili paste generously all over the grilled chicken, and return it to the grill or a hot oven for 5 to 8 minutes, until the sauce clings and starts to char slightly at the edges.

  5. For the plecing kangkung, blanch the water spinach in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes, just until wilted, then drain well.

  6. Blend a portion of the remaining raw chili paste with a little more tomato and the lime juice to make a brighter, less-cooked sambal, and toss it with the blanched water spinach.

  7. Serve the chicken hot, generously coated in sauce, with the plecing kangkung alongside.

chef's tips

  • Lombok food has a reputation for being some of the spiciest in Indonesia, and this dish is a fair example. Scale the chili count down if you want it milder; the dish still works well at a gentler heat.
  • Grilling the chicken mostly cooked first, then finishing it with the sauce on, keeps the sauce from burning before the chicken is done.
  • Plecing kangkung is not a side salad you can skip. Its raw, bright chili dressing is meant to contrast with the cooked, deeper chili glaze on the chicken.
  • Water spinach cooks in under two minutes. Regular spinach works as a substitute but needs even less time.