Indonesian Chicken Stew with Gourd

13 March 2019 By

Indonesian Chicken Stew carries a beautiful flavour and if you were making it from scratch it would involve a couple hours of preparation work. Don’t skip the gourds. I really like it with choko as it’s subtle but absorbs all the wonderful flavours within the stew. You can use bottle gourd or even winter melon is a good substitute. Use butternut squash if you really don’t enjoy gourds of any kind. Add the squash after the chicken.

Indonesian Chicken Stew


Ingredients − Serves 4 to 6 as part of a shared meal

  • 5 tbsp oil
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • ¼ tsp shrimp paste
  • 2 lemongrass stalks, bashed
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 4 lime leaves, torn
  • 7 shallots
  • 2 small red chilies
  • 1 lemon grass
  • 3 tbsp Latasha’s Kitchen Indonesian Turmeric Kari Paste
  • 1 tomato, finely chopped
  • 800 g chicken on the bone, or diced thigh cutlets or tenderloins.
  • 3 cups diced bottle gourd or 1 large choko cut into wedges or chunks
  • 2 tsp tamarind paste
  • ¾ cup water
  • 400 ml coconut milk
  • 2 tsp palm sugar
  • Sea salt
  • Garnish with fried shallots and fresh chilies

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Method

  1. Heat oil in a wok over medium heat.
  2. Add the cumin seeds, shrimp paste, lemongrass, bay leaves, lime leaves, shallots, lemon  grass and chillies. Cook for 5 minutes until aromatic and shallots are caramelised.
  3. Then add Latasha’s Kitchen Turmeric Kari Paste and tomatoes. Cook stirring constantly until it is a fragrant thick mixture, adding a splash of water if required.
  4. Next add the chicken and cook for three minutes, until lightly browned. Add the gourds or choko, then the tamarind paste and water and cook for 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the liquid has reduced.
  5. Pour in the coconut milk slowly and stir through until it is fully incorporated.
  6. Cook for a further five minutes, until slightly reduced. Season with salt.
  7. Serve with boiled rice and a fresh crunchy green salad.