Stuffed Rice Rolls Recipe (Lemper Ayam)

Here is a tasty snack from Indonesia, lemper. It made of sticky rice cooked in coconut milk. The sticky rice then stuffed with spicy chicken, which is infused with lemongrass and coriander. Lemper (stuffed rice rolls) is Indonesian version of onigiri but its very spicy, delicate and flavorful. Traditionally, lemper is a small cylinder shaped snack and wrapped in banana leaves. Sometime it's grilled before serve. This lemper is called lemper bakar (grilled lemper).

Indonesian love to have lemper during tea time or some even may eat it during breakfast. It' quite filling and also great for lunch on-the-go.

This delish snack is very easy to fix. Its perfect for any occasion especially picnic or bbq party. What are you waiting for ?. Bring Indonesian flavor this summer to your kitchen.

In order to get a true Indonesian flavor, as always use banana leaves to wrap your lemper. It's not just bring any nice earthy aroma to the food but its quite eye catching.

Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:

1 lbs glutinous rice, soaked overnight

2 Pandan leaves

1 cup coconut milk

1 1/2 tsp salt

12 pieces banana leaves, 2-inches x 6-inches

Filling:

8 oz ground chicken

3 daun salam (Indonesian bay leaves)

2 kaffir lime leaves

1 lemongrass, bruised

3 tbsp canola oil

1/2 cup coconut milk

Spice paste:

6 Asian shallot

3 cloves garlic

1/4 tsp ground cumin

3 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp ground pepper

4 kemiri (candlenut)

1/2 tsp salt

• Wash and pat dry the banana leaves. Cut it into 2-inches in width and 6-inches in lengths. We will need about 12 pieces. Set aside.
• Preheat a steamer. Bring the water to a rolling boiling then lower the heat to simmer.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil 1 cup of coconut milk, pandan leaves and salt. Then lower the heat to simmer. Add glutinous rice. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed. It will take about 10 minutes.
• Transfer the rice to the steamer. Bring the water in the steamer to a rolling boiling then lower to medium-high heat. Steam the rice for about 40 minutes or until the rice is done. Remove from the heat to cool.
• Put the shallots, garlic, ground cumin, coriander, pepper, candlenut, salt and sugar into the food processor. Pulse it into a smooth paste.
• Heat a wok over high heat. Add oil, kaffir lime leaves, salam leaves, lemongrass and spice paste. Stir-fry the spice paste for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add ground chicken. Continue to stir-fry for 1 minute. Then add coconut milk. Simmer the chicken mixture until the liquid is absorbed and the chicken is almost dry. Remove from the heat to cool.
• Prepare a 8-inches x 8-inches pan. Line the pan with plastic wrap. Divide the sticky rice into 2 equal parts. Put the first part of sticky rice into the pan. Use a spatula to spread the rice out over the surface of the pan. Using hand or spatula, press and compress the rice. Then spread the filling out over the sticky rice. Put the remaining sticky rice on the top of the filling to cover. Then line a plastic wrap on the top. Gently press the rice until the rice is firm.
• Cut the rice into 12 equal size of rectangles. Wrap each of the lemper with banana leaves.
• Enjoy it warm or at room temperature.