A pot of water comes to a boil, and a freshly ground paste of red chilies, bird's-eye chilies, shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, turmeric and lemongrass goes straight in. It bubbles away until fragrant, with no oil and no frying. Then come pieces of young chicken, sliced scallion and celery, and a whole kecombrang flower. Later, mushrooms, tomato and a spoonful of flour made from mature corn turn the broth thick, and coconut milk goes in at the very end. This is cipera manuk, also called ayam cipera, a chicken dish from Karo in North Sumatra. It serves 4 and takes about 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
About Cipera Manuk
Ayam cipera is a Batak dish of kampung chicken in a thick corn-flour broth. It is usually eaten with hot rice. It also turns up at customary occasions and as a special family meal. For more dishes from across the country, see the Indonesia country page.
The name can be confusing. "Cipera" on its own can mean the corn flour itself, or a different dish built on young corn. Adding manuk points to the chicken version.
Other Dishes Called Cipera
Several dishes share the name. Each one is a different recipe.
| Version | What it is | How it differs from this recipe |
|---|---|---|
| Karo family home recipe | A household version from a Karo family | Different amounts and ingredients, including asam patikala/gonje; the flour is roasted mature corn, pounded finely |
| Cipera Dawan Jaung Nguda | A separate version | Young corn and mushrooms, with no chicken and no corn flour |
| Ayam cipera | A broad description of a Batak dish | Mentions andaliman |
| Terites | A Karo soup | Made with partly digested cattle stomach contents, vegetables and herbs |
Arsik, another dish from North Sumatra, is a fish dish. It shares a regional table with cipera, but the two are different dishes.
Ingredients
The ingredients fall into three groups. Bahan 1 is ground into a paste. Bahan 2 holds the water, chicken, mushrooms, corn flour, pepper, tomato and coconut milk. Bahan 3 holds the aromatics that go in with the chicken.
Equipment
- A mortar and pestle, or another tool for grinding the paste
- A pot with a lid
- A spoon for stirring
Choosing Ingredients for Cipera Manuk
The ingredients come in three groups, Bahan 1, 2 and 3, and go into the pot in that order. The salt and sugar are listed as 1 sd t and 1 sd m.
The corn flour is not cornstarch. The recipe calls for tepung jagung dari jagung asli (jagung tua di drymeal), meaning corn flour from real corn, made from mature corn into a "drymeal." Cornstarch and Maizena are different products and won't give the same broth. Buy the drymeal ready-made. Roasting and pounding your own corn belongs to the Karo family home version.
The chicken is half of a young kampung chicken, cut into pieces. The kecombrang flower goes in whole. Keep it in the pot rather than swapping in asam cekala, the sour ingredient used in other versions of cipera. Jamur merang is the straw mushroom (Volvariella volvacea). For the spices, the recipe calls for Desaku turmeric powder and Ladaku pepper powder. When you shop, ask for the mature-corn flour, the kecombrang flower and the straw mushrooms by these names.
Method: From Boiling Water to a Thick Coconut Broth
Each ingredient goes into the pot exactly once. The water and chicken are already in the pot before the mushrooms, flour, pepper and tomato are added. The coconut milk always goes in last.
Cooking Cues and Common Mistakes
Most mistakes with cipera manuk come from adding steps the recipe doesn't have, such as frying the paste or slipping in an extra souring agent. In the pot, go by the cues. First the paste turns fragrant, then the chicken begins to soften. Next the broth thickens and everything cooks through. After the coconut milk goes in, it needs only a brief final cook.
| Check | What to watch |
|---|---|
| Paste | Boiled in water until fragrant; no oil, no sauté step |
| Water and chicken | Each goes in once: the water at the start, the chicken with Bahan 3 |
| Bahan 3 | Scallion, celery and kecombrang flower go in with the chicken |
| Remaining Bahan 2 | Only the mushrooms, corn flour, pepper and tomato |
| Thickness | Stir until the broth begins to thicken and everything is cooked through |
| Coconut milk | Always last, then only a brief cook |
| Additions | No asam cekala, andaliman, cornstarch, oil, drizzle or garnish |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the paste sautéed before simmering?
No. Bring the water to a boil, add the ground paste and cook it until fragrant. No oil is used.
Can I use cornstarch instead of the corn flour?
No. Use the mature-corn flour ("jagung tua di drymeal"). Cornstarch and Maizena are different products.
Should I add asam cekala or andaliman?
Neither is in this ingredient list. Andaliman appears in broader descriptions of ayam cipera, and a sour ingredient appears in a Karo family home version.
How long does it take?
About 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook. Watch for the cues in the method: the paste turns fragrant, the chicken begins to soften, the broth thickens and everything cooks through, and then a brief final cook follows the coconut milk.
What should I serve it with?
Serve it hot, with hot rice, the way it is usually eaten.
