A few years ago I was daydreaming about having a food truck and what my menu might be. If you’re a home cook wanting to turn professional I really believe in doing only one thing and doing it well.
One of the ideas I landed on was a chicken and waffle spot. With a classic Southern fried chicken and waffle, Korean fried chicken and kimchi waffle and… and… I knew I needed a third because good things come in threes but what other chicken and waffle combo could knock your socks off?
And then it hit me: Indonesian chicken and waffles!
I already had my favorite Indonesian fried chicken recipe from when I was a kid and figured I could easily turn gado gado into a slaw.
I just needed to find the waffle to go with it. Luckily: pandan waffles are a thing. Turns out, they go amazingly well with Indonesian fried chicken and gado gado!
Together their powers combined
Though they do great on their own, combine these recipes to make Indonesian chicken and waffles:
- Indonesian fried chicken – ayam goreng asem garem
- Classic Indonesian gado gado salad
- Pandan and coconut milk waffles
I have also laid out the recipes below for easier construction.
When do I eat Indonesian chicken and waffles?
Have this for breakfast, brunch or lunch, as you would American chicken and waffles. Honestly fuck it, dinner also works.
Indonesian chicken and waffles
Succulent and tangy Indonesian fried chicken, with sweet fluffy pandan waffles and a gado gado inspired cole slaw.
Equipment
- Container with lid to marinade overnight
- Small saucepan
- Bowl x 2
- Whisk
- Waffle iron
- Silicone brush
- Ladle
- Wire rack
- Deep fat fryer
- Paper towels
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 3/4 c - 75 gr tamarind pulp
- 1 T - 15 gr salt
- 2 c - 450 ml water lukewarm
- 4 pieces chicken skin on, bone in, I like thighs
- neutral oil for deep frying, I use sunflower
For the gado gado slaw
- 1 1/2 c - 350 ml water
- 2 medium shallots finely chopped
- 3 chilies finely chopped with the pith and seeds removed for less heat
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 t - 8 gr trassi fermented prawn paste, use miso to make this vegan
- 1" - 1.5 cm galengal freshly grated, or replace with 1/2 t dried
- 1 1/2 T - 20 gr tamarind pulp
- 2 T / 30 gr palm sugar
- pinch salt
- 7 T - 100 gr peanut butter as plain as possible
- 3 makrut lime leaves smashed and bruised
- 1.7 oz - 50 gr creamed coconut you can find this in Asian supermarkets
- 1 T - 15 ml kecap manis sweet Indonesian soy sauce
- 1 c - 100 gr red cabbage grated
- 1 c - 100 gr white cabbage grated
- 1/2 c - 50 gr carrots grated
- 3 spring onions sliced into thin rings
For the waffles
- 1 c - 125 gr all purpose flour
- 1/4 c - 50 gr plain sugar
- 2 tsp - 8 gr baking powder
- pinch salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 t - 1.5 gr pandan paste you can find this at Asian supermarkets
- 13 1/2 T - 200 ml coconut milk 1 tin, find the coconut milk with the lowest possible water content % you can find
- 1/4 c - 60 gr butter melted
- neutral oil for greasing, I use sunflower
Instructions
The evening before you want to eat
- Mix together 3/4 c - 75 gr tamarind pulp, 1 T - 15 gr salt with 2 c - 450 ml of lukewarm water until most of the tamarind and salt are dissolved.
- Gently score the chicken skin of 8 pieces of chicken before placing the pieces in the tamarind mixture and leave to marinade overnight.
The day of
First make the gado gado sauce
- Place 1 1/2 c - 350 ml of water in a small saucepan, add 2 finely chopped shallots, 3 finely chopped red chilies (seeds and pith removed to reduce the heat), 3 finely minced garlic cloves, 2 t - 8 gr trassi, 1" - 1.5 cm freshly peeled and grated galengal, 1 1/2 t - 20 gr tamarind, 2 T - 30 gr palm sugar, 3 bruised lime leaves and a pinch of salt and bring to the boil.
- Once the water spice mixture has come to the boil, lower the heat and stir in 7 T - 100 gr of peanut butter.
- Let it come back up to the boil, then reduce the heat one last time and add 1.7 oz - 50 gr creamed coconut. Stir until dissolved and take the sauce off the heat.
- Finish by stirring in 1 T - 15 ml of kecap manis to give the sauce a slight gloss.
Now make the waffle batter
- To make the waffles combine all the dry ingredients: 1 c - 125 gr flour, 1/4 c - 50 gr sugar, 2 t - 5 gr baking powder and a pinch of salt in a bowl.
- In another bowl, combine and whisk together the wet ingredients: 1 large egg, 1/4 t - 1.5 gr pandan paste, 13 1/3 T - 200 ml coconut milk and 1/4 c - 60 gr melted butter.
- Now mix the wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients. Do not over mix, just fold the ingredients together until the batter is just coming together.
- Cover and let the dough rest 30 minutes in your fridge before heating your waffle iron. This step is crucial, if you skip this you will end up with dense rather than fluffy waffles.
Frying, baking and mixing
- Heat your deep fat fryer or oil to 180° C/ 350° F and preheat on your waffle iron.
- Fry your chicken in batches. I like to fry mine lid off for about 5-7 minutes and then placing the lid on for an additional 10 minutes to add. You're looking for some really dark crisp caramelized edges. Please note: Dutch chickens tend to run smaller and my pieces are fried within 15-20 minutes max, bigger pieces may take longer.
- Using a silicone brush grease your waffle iron lightly with oil before you pour in the batter. I use a ladle for easy scooping and pouring. Cook until both sides are a light golden brown, the time this takes will depend on your waffle iron. Mine take about 5-10 minutes.
- Leave the waffles to cool on a wire rack, but be sure to try one fresh as well. Leave the chicken to drain on some paper towels.
- Mix a few tablespoons of the gado gado sauce with 1 c - 100 gr thinly sliced red cabbage, 1 c - 100 gr thinly sliced white cabbage, 1/2 c - 50 gr grated carrot and 3 finely sliced spring onions until everything is coated in a thin layer of the sauce
To serve
- Start with a couple of waffles, top with some of the gado gado slaw and finish with two pieces of fried chicken.
Notes
Any left-over peanut sauce will keep for up to 5 days in a closed container in the fridge. If re-using, remove from the fridge and let it get back up to room temperature and give it a good stir before adding it to anything as it does get quite firm once cooled down completely.
You can keep left-over cooled chicken in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a oven at 175° C/ 350° F for 10-15 minutes or until crisp.
These waffles keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
