Soto Kediri

Soto Kediri or Soto Tamanan is a coconut milk based chicken soup from Kediri, East Java. Okay, I know what you think, this is my fifth soto recipe, but what can I say, we do have a lot of soto variations and its all yummy. I must admit tho, the basic ingredients and even the toppings from one chicken soto to another are almost the same. The twist lays on one or two particular spices, but believe me that tiny twist gives huge different in taste. 

Ingredients:

2 complete chicken thighs (upper and lower thigh), or one whole chicken

2 big lemon grass

5 kaffir lime leaves

1.500 ml water

1 tbsp salt 

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp white pepper powder

450 ml coconut milk (1 can)

2 tbsp oil for sautee

Ingredients to paste:

8 shallots

5 garlic

3 cm fresh turmeric

1 tsp shrimp paste (terasi)

2 cm fresh ginger

5 candle nut

Toppings:

100 gr vermicelli noodle, blanched

3 tomatoes, cut in wedges

4 eggs, boiled and cut in half

2 scallions, thinly sliced

fried shallots

Cooking steps:

1. Boil the chicken in water to make simple chicken stock, meanwhile, prepare the ingredients to paste,
2. Put shallots, garlic, fresh turmeric, shrimp paste, ginger and candle nut in an electric food processor and turn it into fine paste,
3. Sautee the paste ingredients with oil, lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves until fragrants and turns into a dark yellow colored paste, 
4. Add the paste ingredients into the chicken stock, add salt, sugar and white pepper, continue cooking on medium heat until the chicken is tender and falls apart,
5. Take out the chicken and shred it,
6. Add coconut milk into the stock and continue cooking until it reboils, 
7. In a serving bowl, place vermicelli noodle, tomatoes and egg wedges. Add a generous amount of shredded chicken on top and pour the stock gently, 
8. Sprinkle fried shallots and scallions, et voila, the soto is ready to be served!

Happy cooking!!

PS: Serve with a bowl of rice aside if you serve the soto as main meal.