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Ayam Penyet

Name: Ayam Penyet
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: ID
Ingredients: 8 pieces (about 1.2 kg) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks; 1 litre water; 4 cloves garlic, crushed; 3 candlenuts (kemiri), or 4 macadamia nuts; 1 tsp coriander seeds; 2 cm piece fresh turmeric, peeled and sliced (or 1/2 tsp ground turmeric); 2 Indonesian bay leaves (daun salam), or regular bay leaves; 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised; 2 cm piece galangal, peeled and smashed; 1 tbsp salt; 1 tsp sugar; 1 litre vegetable oil, for deep-frying; 12 bird's eye chilies (cabai rawit); 4 large red chilies (cabai merah); 4 shallots, peeled; 3 cloves garlic; 1 tsp shrimp paste (terasi); 1 small ripe tomato; 1 tsp sugar; 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste; 1 tbsp lime juice; 2 tbsp vegetable oil, for the sambal; 1 cucumber, sliced; 50 g raw cabbage leaves and basil (kemangi), for lalapan; 800 g (about 4 cups) steamed white rice

25m

Prépa

45m

Cuisson

Portions

Moyen

Difficulté

Poulet mijoté aux épices puis frit et légèrement écrasé, servi avec un sambal brûlant.

#indonesian#fried-chicken#sambal#spicy#street-food#java

Portions

4portions

Ingrédients

Nutrition

calories720

protein42g

carbs52g

fat38g

fiber4g

Par portion

Étapes

Simmer the chicken

Put the chicken in a large pot with the water, garlic, candlenuts, coriander seeds, turmeric, bay leaves, lemongrass, galangal, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for about 25 minutes. This step is the secret of ayam penyet: boiling the chicken in spiced broth first seasons it all the way to the bone before it ever meets the oil.

8 pieces chicken
1 litre water
4 cloves garlic
3 candlenuts
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 cm turmeric
2 bay leaves
2 stalks lemongrass
2 cm galangal
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp sugar

✅ C'est prêt quand : the chicken is cooked through (juices run clear, no pink near the bone) and the broth smells strongly of the spices

⏱25:00

Drain and dry

Lift the chicken out of the broth and let it drain well, then pat it dry with paper towels. Dry skin fries up blistered and crisp instead of spitting and steaming in the hot oil, so do not skip this.

8 pieces simmered chicken

✅ C'est prêt quand : the chicken pieces feel mostly dry to the touch

Fry the sambal base

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Pound the sambal

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Deep-fry the chicken

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Smash and serve

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Simmer the chicken

8 pieces chicken
1 litre water
4 cloves garlic
3 candlenuts
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 cm turmeric
2 bay leaves
2 stalks lemongrass
2 cm galangal
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp sugar

✅ C'est prêt quand : the chicken is cooked through (juices run clear, no pink near the bone) and the broth smells strongly of the spices

⏱25:00

Drain and dry

Lift the chicken out of the broth and let it drain well, then pat it dry with paper towels. Dry skin fries up blistered and crisp instead of spitting and steaming in the hot oil, so do not skip this.

8 pieces simmered chicken

✅ C'est prêt quand : the chicken pieces feel mostly dry to the touch

Fry the sambal base

This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.

Pound the sambal

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Deep-fry the chicken

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Smash and serve

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History & Culture

The Story Behind the Dish

📍 Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia📅 20th century🌶️ ID

Ayam penyet grew out of the warung culture of East Java, where cooks simmered chicken in spiced broth before frying it, a technique that keeps the meat tender while still allowing the skin to turn deeply crisp. The dish takes its name from the Javanese word for 'pressed' or 'smashed,' referring to the final step of lightly crushing the fried chicken with a pestle so it opens up and takes in more of the fiery sambal spooned over the top.

From its roots in East Java, ayam penyet spread across Indonesia and into neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore through Javanese migrant cooks, becoming a familiar sight on street-food menus and in casual eateries. It is almost always served with plain rice, raw vegetables, and a mound of sambal, letting the simple fried chicken act as a canvas for the chili paste's heat.

⭐ Why It's Famous

Ayam penyet is loved for the contrast it builds into one plate: tender, well-seasoned chicken, a crackling fried skin, and a fierce, tangy sambal that is pounded rather than blended, so it keeps a coarse, lively texture. The smashing step is also a bit of theatre, cooks often do it right at the counter, which has helped make the dish a recognisable part of Indonesian street food.

💡 Fun Fact

The word 'penyet' simply means 'pressed' or 'flattened' in Javanese, and the same smashing technique is also used on other fried foods like tofu and tempeh served the same way, known as tahu penyet and tempe penyet.

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