Lemper Ayam – Indonesian Sticky Rice Rolls filled with Spicy Chicken

Steaming the rice

Wash the rice until the water runs clear and then soak it for a minimum of 2 hours, you can even soak it overnight.

Steam the rice in a rice steamer, or if you don't have one (like me), you can easily create your own by using a large pan and a vegetable steamer (or colander) which fits snuggly in the pan.

Add a layer of water to large pan with a lid, the water should not touch the bottom of the steamer. Add the vegetable steamer on top and bring the water to a simmer. Drain the rice and add it into the steamer, close the lid and let steam for 40 minutes.

The rest of the rice steps

In a separate pan add the santen, 1 liter water, pandan leaves, lime leaves and lemon grass and bring to a simmer, stirring until the santen has melted.

Add the steamed rice and turn the heat down, keep stirring for 5 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed.

Once absorbed remove all the leaves and lemon grass stalk, your rice is now ready but let it cool slightly so easier to work with.

Chicken filling (for vegan option see notes below)

Boil the chicken filets (kept whole) in enough water cover it. Amount of time needed depends on size of the chicken breast, ± 10 minutes.

Remove the chicken, keep the water for later use. Finely chop the cooked chicken.

In a food processor add the rest of the filling ingredients, EXCEPT THE LIME LEAVES, and blend into a smooth spice paste (bumbu).

Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable or peanut oil in a pan and add the bumbu and the lime leaves. Sauté on medium heat while you keep stirring for ± 5 minutes. When fragrant and the oils start to separate add the chicken.

Pour 50 ml of the held back chicken 'stock' to the mix, stir and heat through. f the chicken pieces are still too big you can pulse the mixture with a handheld blender to get your desired consistency. It should be wet but still hold together well. Add more of the stock if desired.

Taste and season with salt or light soy sauce to taste (I added about 2 tsp of soy sauce). Remove the lime leaves.

Making the Lemper

To start prepare ± 16 clingfilm pieces of A4 size cm. Get a bowl of water ready to wet your hands now and then, the rice can be very sticky.

Take 1/3 cup of rice and place it in the middle of a cling film sheet. By folding the edges of the plastic wrap over and pressing down create rectangle shapes, just slightly smaller than a regular envelope. Fold the plastic sides open again.

Place ± 1 tbsp chicken filling in the middle along the length of the rectangle, leaving the short sides empty so when you roll it up the chicken is inside the 'sausage'.

Now create your 'sausage form: first roll one side over with the cling film, then the other side and tightly roll it all up into a nice sausage shape.

Tightly make a knot on 1 side and then by twisting the other side push all the ingredients tightly together.

Repeat until all the filling and rice have been used.

The dipping sauce

Add all the ingredients into a small bowl. Mix, taste and adjust where needed.

Serving & Storing

You can eat them cold or warm, but I prefer warm. I like to steam them to heat them up, but you can also microwave them. Either way, keep the clingfilm on while reheating, prick a few holes in the plastic so the steam can release. Steaming:

10 minutes. From frozen: 15 minutes.

Microwaving: 3 x 10 seconds.