Chicken in Roasted Coconut and Yellow Ginger Sauce

Chef Myke Tatung’s Chicken in Roasted Coconut and Yellow Ginger Sauce

Via: http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/30027/someone%E2%80%99s-in-the-kitchen-with-grandma

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (adobo cut)

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 large onions minced

2 cloves garlic minced

3 stalks lemongrass (chopped finely)

2 tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 tbsp grated fresh luyang dilaw (turmeric)

1 tbsp bagoong (shrimp paste)

4 siling pang-sigang (finger chili) cut diagonally

1 1/2 cup chicken stock

2 cups roasted coconut cream

8 pcs okra cut diagonally

1 tbsp brown sugar (optional)

Patis (fish sauce) and black pepper to taste

Roasted coconut cream:

Prepare 2 grated coconuts and spread evenly over a cookie sheet. Bake in an oven at 380 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes until it develops a golden brown crust.  Allow to cool, add one cup of water and squeeze out cream. Set aside at least 2 cups.

Procedure:

1. Heat up a casserole and sauté garlic, onions, ginger, lemongrass, turmeric and bagoong and mix into a pasty consistency.

2. Add chicken and pour chicken stock and season with patis, sugar and pepper, cook till reduced to half.

3. Add roasted coconut cream, and allow to simmer for 30 to 40 minutes under low fire or until chicken is tender. Add okra and chilies on the last 3 minutes of cooking. Serve with toasted coconut on top.

My Notes:

I only used 1 grated coconut and roasted it in the turbo oven for 12 minutes. I then added a cup of water and was able to squeeze out about 1 1/2 cups of cream which was more than enough. I didn't have frersh turmeric and so I used 1 tsp of powdered turmeric. Sugar in this recipe just adds calories which you can do without. Adding the okra and chilies in the last 3 minutes of cooking was perfect because the okra still had that crunch and the chilies  did not have enough time to give heat to the dish. I liked biting into the crunch of the chili to add spice to the dish.