Indonesian · main

Ayam Rica-Rica (Manado Chilli Chicken)

Ayam Rica-Rica (Manado Chilli Chicken) reads umami 6.3, richness 6.2 and citrus 5.6 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Indonesian main, about 1 hr 32 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 6.7 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 2.5 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 7.2 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.0 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.8 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 5.0 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.3 · Richness 6.2 · Citrus 5.6 · Sourness 5.4 · Allium 4.3 · Salinity 4.0 · Heat 3.1 · Herbaceous 2.3 · Warm Spice 2.3 · Nutty 2.1 · Sweetness 2.0 · Fruity 1.7 · Floral 1.4 · Earthy 0.9 · Bitterness 0.8

What's in it (14)

• chicken thighs — 1200 g
• red bird's eye chillies — 60 g
• long red chili peppers — 150 g
• shallots — 200 g
• garlic — 30 g
• fresh ginger — 40 g
• lemongrass — 120 g
• kaffir lime leaves — 3 g
• tomatoes — 200 g
• lemon basil — 30 g
• lime juice — 44 g
• coconut oil — 74 g
• salt — 7 g
• water — 250 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 32 min (1 hr 7 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 112.9 kcal, 9.8 g protein, 7.1 g fat, 3.1 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

1. Rub the chicken with 1 tsp of the salt and 1 tbsp of the lime juice and leave 20 minutes.
2. Pound or coarsely blend the bird's eye chillies, large chillies, shallots, garlic and ginger. Leave it slightly rough rather than smooth; Manadonese cooks want texture in the sauce. Rica means chilli in the local Manado Malay, and the doubled word rica-rica signals the quantity: this is genuinely, unapologetically hot food, the hottest regional cooking in Indonesia, and reducing the chillies to a polite handful produces a different dish.
3. Heat the coconut oil in a wide heavy pan over medium heat and fry the paste with the lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until it darkens to brick red and the oil separates and floats clear at the edges.
4. Raise the heat, add the chicken and turn it in the paste for 8 minutes so every slash fills with sauce and the surface tightens.
5. Add the tomatoes, the water and the remaining salt. Simmer uncovered 30 to 35 minutes over medium-low heat, turning the chicken twice, until the meat pulls easily from the bone and the sauce has reduced to a thick paste that clings.
6. Stir in the remaining lime juice, taste, then fold through the lemon basil off the heat and cover for 2 minutes so it steams rather than boils. Kemangi is not sweet basil and not Thai holy basil; it is sharper and more lemony, and it is sold at Indonesian grocers. Serve with plain rice and something cooling.
7. Rest 5 minutes. There should be almost no free liquid, just a thick red coat on the chicken with a slick of red oil.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Grilled Skirt Steak with Garlic Butter — American
• Pork Green Chile Stew — Tex-Mex · Southwestern
• Carne Asada — Mexican
• Griot (Twice-Cooked Marinated Pork) — Haitian
• Beef and Bean Chili Verde — Tex-Mex

Keep reading: what umami, richness, citrus mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.