Ayam Masak Kicap Madu [Sweet, Black]

Ayam Masak Kicap Madu (chicken cooked with soy sauce and honey) - it was hard for me to focus when shooting this bowl of black goodies. I cooked it on demand of T but I did not like it that much. He liked it sweet but I prefer savoury version cooked without honey. Most Malay dishes use sweetened dark soy sauce (kicap manis) for cooking. The soy sauce itself is sweet PLUS honey, it can be my dessert dish.

This is non-spicy version as I need to cater for my toddlers. If you like spicy, add few bird-eye chilies in (C).

Ingredients:
A:
2 no. large chicken thighs, chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp salt

B:
2 cinnamon sticks
2 no. star anise
3-4 cardamoms
2-4 cloves

C:
1 onion, cut into thick slices
4-5 cloves garlic, bruised
1 pc ginger (about 2 inches),bruised
1 lemongrass (white part only), bruised
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

D:
1 cup kicap manis (sweetened dark soy sauce)
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp tamarind paste, mixed with 1 tbsp water
Salt to taste

E:
1 stalk cilantro for garnish
Cooking oil for frying chicken

Methods:

1. Put all ingredients (A) together and marinate for 30 minutes.
2. Heat oil in wok, deep-fry chicken till just cooked. Remove from wok and set aside.
3. Remove oil from wok, keep about one tablespoon for frying herbs.
4. Add in (B), cook for few seconds then add in (C) and cook until browned slightly.
5. Add in kicap manis, bring to a boil then return fried chicken into wok. Cook with low heat till sauce is reduced. Add some hot water if necessary.
6. Add in honey and salt to taste, cook for 2-3 minutes.
7. Transfer to serving plate, garnish with cilantro and serve with steamed rice.