Lemper Ayam – Indonesian Sticky Rice Rolls filled with Spicy Chicken

Sticky rice

Soak the rice for a minimum of 2 hours.

If you don't have a rice steamer 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.

We start by using just the pan, vegetable steamer. To the pan add the rice and the following ingredients:

Coconut cream, salt, kaffir lime leaves, bruised and knotted pandan leaves and the bruised lemongrass stalk.

Heat the pan on a low heat, keep on stirring until all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Watch out for burning, the sugars in the coconut milk will make it burn quicker than water.

Take off the heat and let rest for 30 minutes with the lid on.

After 30 minutes remove the pandan leaves, they will make the rice turn slightly green.

Transfer the rice to the steamer part and add ± 2 cm of water to the bottom of the pan. Make sure the water doesn't touch the rice while it's in the steamer.

Steam with the lid on for 30 minutes, taste and check if it's done. The grains should be soft, if the core is still a bit hard steam for another 10 minutes.

Stir through carefully and close off with a lid so the rice doesn't dry out, and still stays a bit warm.

Chicken filling

Boil the chicken filets (kept whole) in enough water to amply 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 boiled chicken breast and the onion.

In a mortar and pestle (or a food processor) grind the garlic, candle nuts and half of the onion into a paste.

Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable or peanut oil in a pan and add the sugar, kaffir lime leaves, laos and the lemon grass. Sauté for 1 minute.

Add the other half of the onions you kept aside and sauté until translucent and fragrant.

Add the spice paste and mix through

Add the rest of the spices: trassi, koriander powder, cumin powder and kurkuma.

Mix and sauté everything together and then add the finely chopped chicken.

Add 150 cl of the held back chicken 'stock' to the mix, heat through and remove from the heat.

Remove the kaffir lime leaves and the lemon grass.

Making the Lemper

To start prepare ± 16 clingfilm pieces of 20 x 20 cm.

Get a bowl of water ready to wet your hands now and then, the rice is very sticky.

Take a handful of rice and place it in the middle of a cling film sheet to create a rectangular shape (kind of ;-).

Place the chicken filling in the middle, leaving the sides empty so when you roll it up the chicken is inside the 'sausage'.

First roll one side over with the cling film, then the other side and tightly roll it all up into a nice sausage shape and the filling isn't visible.

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 are done.

The dipping sauce

Add all the ingredients to an airtight jar and shake it up well. Taste and adjust where needed.

Serving & Storing

You can eat them cold or warm, but I prefer warm.

They will keep 2-3 days in the fridge.

Lempers freeze really well, no need to defrost before heating.

I prefer to steam them to heat them up, but you can also microwave them. Either way, keep the clingfilm on while reheating, prick a few wholes in the plastic so the steam can release.

Microwaving: 3 x 10 seconds.

Steaming: 10-15 minutes.