Ayam Tempra

When most people think of Nonya food, they think of all the usual suspects like ayam buah
keluak, laksa, mee siam and nonya chicken curry. It was only a few years back that my
sister Molly talked about how she missed having ayam tempra for dinner. Then only did
I realise that it was indeed a low-key Nonya dish we ate often. ‘Tempra’ is a Malay word
related to the Portuguese word ‘tempero’ which means ‘seasoning’ or ‘gravy’ in English.

The sauce was garnished with fresh cut red chilli and sliced onions. The main component
would be thin slices of pork or chicken, even chicken wings, shrimp or a whole fried fish
but it also went well with bubor (porridge) because of its sauce, as an alternative to tauk
yu bak (page 235).

makes 4 to 6 servings

230 g or 8 ounces chicken breast,
sliced finely *

1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
30 g or 1 ounce belachan
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced

2.5 cm or 1 inch ginger, skinned
and julienned

1 stalk lemon grass (seray),
use bottom third, slice finely

2 red chillies, sliced
1 large yellow onion, peeled and sliced

3 kaffir lime leaves
(daun limau punit)

2 cups water

* The chicken breast can be substituted with
chicken wings or sliced pork fillet, a whole
fried fish or prawns (shrimps) with shell on.

1.   Season the chicken with the salt and sugar, dark soy
sauce, lime juice and belachan. Set aside for at least
half an hour.

2.   Heat a saucepan and add the oil. When the oil is
glistening, fry the minced garlic, ginger, lemon grass,
red chillies and yellow onion slices until fragrant. Add
the seasoned chicken, followed by the lime leaves.
Fry for about 2 to 3 minutes on high heat. Pour in the
water and let boil, then turn down to simmer for about
5 minutes.

234  Growing Up in a  Nonya Kitchen ~ Our Daily Fare