Recipe: Ayam Pongteh (Nyonya Chicken and Potato Stew)

During our recent trip to Melaka, we managed to try lots of different Peranakan dishes, including ayam pongteh. Ayam pongteh is a Nyonya chicken and potato stew, flavoured by shallots, garlic and taucu (preserved soy beans). In some restaurants, they also serve a pork version called babi pongteh.

This is a very easy dish to prepare at home; the majority of the cooking time is for braising on low heat hence requiring little supervision. The reduced sauce is nice and flavourful and goes nicely with white rice. This dish is usually made with only potatoes and Chinese mushrooms, however I added carrots for a splash of colour and I love carrots in stews. As this is a non-spicy dish, it is highly suitable for kids too!

Ayam Pongteh (Nyonya chicken and potato stew)
Recipe by Baby Sumo, adapted from Asian Retro Food by Betty Saw
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Serves 4


Ingredients
90g shallots, peeled
1 bulb garlic, peeled
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 - 1 1/2 tbsp taucu (preserved soy beans)
400g chicken breast or fillet, cut into chunks
400ml water
1 tsp dark soy sauce
12 dried mushrooms, soaked to soften
2 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 carrot, peeled and quartered (optional)
1/4 tsp salt

1. Place peeled garlic and shallots into a food processor and blend until you get a paste. If you do not have a food processor, finely chop the garlic and shallots.

2. Heat oil in a wok over medium high heat. Add the shallots and garlic, and saute for 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of taucu and fry for another 2 minutes until fragrant.

3. Add the mushrooms and chicken, then stir fry for 3-4 minutes. Add the water and dark soy sauce and bring to the boil. Once boiling, add the potatoes and salt and simmer over medium heat, covered for about 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are soft and the sauce has thicken slightly. Taste and season with more taucu if necessary.

4. Serve with rice.

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