Soto Ayam Sokaraja

When I was on the elementary school the canteen served lunches for kids like me who doesn't bring lunch from home. The menu was of course Indonesian menu like soto, tempeh, tofu, lontong isi (rice cake with meat filling), nasi goreng (fried rice), mie ayam (chicken noodle), etc. My mom got me the basic set of menu which was either soto or lontong isi. It was pretty good, altho on the age I was, I definitely would prefer a bag of chips and chocolate wafer anytime. 

I had soto for lunch at least three times a week. Yeah it was a bit mundane if you think about it but I didn't care, I just ate quickly and rushed quickly to the playground. I didn't even know what kind of soto it was, all I know it was soto ayam (chicken soup). After six year eating the soup for lunch, the taste of it was kinda imprinted on my palate. I remember how light and salty the broth was also the hint smell of garlic and the juicy piece of chicken. After I graduated I never eat that kind of soto anymore. I thought it was the canteen lady's trademark soto. 

Last night I was talking to one of my best friends, she was sharing her idea of opening a business selling her hometown's famous soto; Soto Sokaraja. She explained to me how tasty the broth is and how much she loves it. The Soto can be made with either chicken or beef. It served with boiled egg and rice cake. I got really curious about the soto, unfortunately she hasn't got the time to write me her family recipe. I bet her recipe is so good that she is convinced to make a business out of it and I can't wait to taste it. 

I found a recipe of the soto on one of my cooking books and I gave it a try. It was pretty simple to make too. I was totally surprised that the soto is actually tastes exactly like my school canteen's soto!! I wasn't expecting it but it surely was a lovely surprised. Every spoon of it reminds me of my elementary school events. Ahh.. that innocent age where my biggest problem in live were homeworks and deciding what cartoon channel to watch on Saturday morning. 

Ingredients:

½ chicken, cut in two ( I used 3 whole chicken thigh instead since I prefer brown meat)

2½ liter of water

3 Salam leaves

4 cm fresh Galangal

1 ½ tbsp salt to taste (adjust to your taste)

½ tsp white pepper powder

3 tsp sugar

3 tbsp oil to saute

Ingredients to paste:

8 garlic

5 candlenut, 

3 cm fresh turmeric, charred on sides

2 cm fresh ginger

Toppings:

100 gr of rice vermicelli noodle, blenched

100 gr of beansprout

4 eggs, boiled and wedged

2 scallions, thinly sliced

4 tbsp of fried soya beans

fried garlic to sprinkle

rice cake/lontong

Cooking Steps:

1. Boil the chicken in 2½ liter of water along with Salam leaves, galangal and salt,
2. Once the chicken is cooked and tender, take it out and fry it until it turns golden on the surface. Shred the meat and set aside. Return the bone into the broth and shimmer.
3. Put garlic, candlenut, fresh turmeric and fresh ginger in an electric food processor and turn into paste. Sauté the paste ingredients with oil until fragrant.
4. Put the sauté paste into the broth, turn up the heat to medium and let it boils once again. Meanwhile lets prepare the serving bowl;
5. Cut rice cake into bite size and put it on the bottom of your serving bowl, top it with beansprout and blenched rice vermicelli. Pour a ladle full of the broth (or two, depends on the depth of your bowl but it best to serve with broth covering the beansprout). Place the egg and sprinkle sliced scallion, fried soya beans and fried garlic. 
6. Et voila, the soup is ready to be served!

Happy cooking!!

PS: I did filter the broth before pouring it into the bowl, thats why my broth looks so clear.  Usually this soto served with garlic sambal, I will try to write the recipe one day.