Bubur Ayam Abang-Abang
Bubur Ayam Abang-Abang·(boo-boor ah-yam ah-bang ah-bang)
Sarapan Pagi: The Morning Fuel
In Indonesia, breakfast isn't cereal; it's a bowl of steaming porridge sold from a wooden cart by a guy who hits a ceramic bowl with a spoon to announce his arrival. The magic of the street cart isn't just the rice, it's the kuah kuning, a heavily spiced, golden turmeric chicken broth ladled over the top and buried under a mountain of crispy, salty textures. To pull this off on a random Tuesday in Ohio, we use a brilliant trick from Indonesian grandmas: blitzing yesterday's leftover rice to bypass hours of stirring, getting you that velvety street-cart texture in fifteen minutes flat.
Ingredients
- day-old cooked white rice4 cup
- water8 cup
- kosher salt2 tsp
- Indonesian bay leaves2 small
- bone-in skin-on chicken thighs1 lb
- vegetable oil1 tbsp
- lemongrass1 stalk
- fresh galangal1 inch
- kaffir lime leaves3 med
- chicken bouillon powder1 tsp
- white pepper1/2 tsp
- shallots6 med
- garlic4 small clove
- macadamia nuts3 large
- ground coriander1 tsp
- ground turmeric1 tsp
- crispy fried shallots1/4 cup
- celery leaves1/4 cup
- scallions2 med
- Chinese cruller1 large
- roasted unsalted peanuts1/4 cup
- sweet soy sauce2 tbsp
- shrimp crackers1 cup
- sambal oelek2 tbsp
Method
- 01
Blend the spice paste until it forms a smooth, mustard-yellow foundation.
Toss the shallots, garlic, macadamia nuts, coriander, turmeric, and a tablespoon of water into a blender or food processor. Pulse it until completely smooth; the finer the paste, the silkier your broth will be.
- 02
Fry the aromatics and build the golden broth.
Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Saute your blended spice paste, lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves for 3 to 4 minutes until the oil starts to separate and the kitchen smells like a Jakarta morning. Toss in the chicken thighs, coat them in the spices, then pour in 4 cups of water, bouillon, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the white pepper. Simmer covered for 25 minutes.
- 03
Blitz the leftover rice into a velvety porridge.
While the chicken simmers, drop your cold leftover rice, the remaining 4 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the bay leaves into a separate pot. Hit it with an immersion blender just four or five times to break about half the grains so they release their starches. Simmer over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until it transforms into a thick, creamy congee.
- 04
Shred the chicken and crisp it in a skillet.
Pull the cooked thighs from the golden broth, setting them on a board to cool. Keep that broth simmering on low, as this is your prized Kuah Kuning. Discard the bones and skin, shred the meat, and quickly flash-fry the shreds in a lightly oiled skillet for two minutes to crisp the edges like the street vendors do.
- 05
Assemble the bowls with architectural precision.
Ladle a generous base of the thick white porridge into wide bowls. Spoon the hot golden broth directly over the porridge, letting it pool without mixing it in. Top with shredded chicken, a shower of celery leaves, scallions, peanuts, sliced crullers, and fried shallots. Finish with a heavy drizzle of sweet soy sauce, a dollop of sambal, and a handful of crackers on the side.
Notes
Do not substitute Western bay leaves for Indonesian daun salam.
Western bay leaves taste like eucalyptus and will wreck the flavor profile. If you can't find daun salam at your Asian grocer, just leave it out entirely.
Macadamia nuts are the ultimate diaspora hack.
Authentic Kuah Kuning relies on kemiri, or candlenuts, for its creamy texture and oily richness. Macadamia nuts share the exact same fat profile and are easily found in any American supermarket.