Lawar Ayam

Green Bean Salad with Chicken

No big religious or private celebration would be held without serving this ritual dish. Only the eldest, and most experienced men are allowed to mix the many ingredients. Many versions incorporate raw pounded meat and fresh blood in the dressing. Chicken meat can be replaced with beef, pork, seafood, vegetables or young jack fruit.

Ingredients :

3 cups blanched long bean cut in 1/2 cm slices

1/2 cups grated coconut, roasted

6 clove garlic, peeled, sliced and fried

6-8 shallots, peeled, sliced and fried

2 large red chilies, seeded and cut in fine strips

4-6 bird's-eye chilies, finely sliced

3 tsp fried chili

2 tbsp chicken spice paste

fried shallots to garnish

Dressing :

250g boneless chicken, minced

2tbsp chicken spice paste

1tsp freshly squeezed limejuice

1tsp salt

1/2tsp black peppercorns, crushed

Banana leaf cut in 30 cm (12 in) square

Preparation :

Combined beans, coconut, garlic, shallots, all the chillies and chicken spice paste in a large bowl and mix well.

To prepare the dressing, combined chicken mince with 2 tbsp of chicken spice paste and mix well. Place minced chicken lengthwise in center of banana leaf and roll up very tightly. Place banana leaf roll on aluminium foil and roll up again very tightly. Turn sides simultaneously in opposite directions to tighten the roll. Steam roll for 20 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and banana leaf; break up with fork to its original minced form.

Combined mince chicken with bean mixture; season to taste with salt pepper and lime juice. Garnish with crispy fried shallot.