Nasi Kebuli (Indonesian Spiced Rice)

This rich of spices rice dish is cooked and served only during special occasions and has influences from Middle East and from Indian moslems.

According to the beliefs of old town folks, when cooking this traditional dish, it is vital that the cooks ensure that the ingredients are mixed in the right proportion and follow strictly according to the recipe.

And more importantly, besides the correct proportion of the ingredients, the cook or cooks must be properly dressed in clean and decent attire!! This, local folks say, is to ensure that when cooked, the rice or dish will not turn out to be tasteless and aroma-less!

Well, Nasi Kebuli is rice cooked with coconut oil and mixed with chicken. Sometimes lamb or mutton is used instead of chicken as the meat for this traditional food.

Ingredients:
2 esps butter
1/2 kg boneless chicken, cut in cubes
3 cups chicken broth
1 tsp salt
2 cups rice, washed and well-drained
1/2 pineapple, peeled and cut in small pieces

Spices:
13 red onions -}
7 garlics -} sliced into thin pieces
2,5 cm ginger/jahe -}
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp white groundpepper
1/2 tsp cumin
Grated nutmeg
1 cinnamon stick
4 cardamoms, bruised
2 cloves
1 lemon grass/sereh, bruised


Directions:

1. Heat the butter in the pan. Fry the mix spices for about 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
2. Add the chicken and cook again for about 3 minutes until the chicken turning colored.
3. Pour the chicken broth and cook the chicken with low fire until the chicken is soft.
4. Remove from the fire and seperate the chicken and chicken broth. Pour the chicken broth into other bowl.
5. Put the rice in ricecooker or heavy pan, pour the 21/2 cups of chicken broth in the rice and let it boiled. Put the lid on the pan and let it cooking slowly until the rice is almost done and dry.
6. Add the chicken in the rice and cook on low fire until the rice is done.
7. Serve with fried onions and small slices pineapple.

Some texts adapted from here.