I woke up with travel lust and a craving for some Chicken Mokeka or Moqueca, a Brazilian stew that I fell in love with at Warung Putu of all places. It’s a non-descript cafe at Nusa Lembongan with a killer vista of the ocean and some of the best food I had on the Indonesian island.

That island cafe’s light and creamy version had chicken, pineapple, tomatoes, onions, coconut milk and a hint of chilli. It was incredibly balanced in flavours and so comforting.

I tried to recreate it when I got back and I came close with my first version, using additions of ginger, garlic, cloves, coriander seeds, black pepper, lime, sugar and fish sauce. I added kaffir lime leaf and lemongrass on other occasions and they all tasted scrumptious. Rice is essential for this dish and I would also recommend a fresh salad with some crunch. Try it and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

Chicken pieces - 600g to 800g

Fresh pineapple - 1 cup (diced)

Tomato - 1 large ripe (chopped, or 7 cherry tomatoes)

Onions - 2 (chopped)

Ginger - 1 slice

Garlic - 1 clove (chopped)

Cloves - 3

Small red chillies - 2 or more if you like it spicy

Coconut milk - 200ml

Water - 1/2 cup

Black pepper - 1 teaspoon

Fish sauce, 1 tablespoon

Salt, 1 teaspoon

Sugar, 1 teaspoon

Lime juice, 1 tablespoon (optional)

Vegetable oil, 3 tablespoons

Method:

- Heat oil in pan and fry the garlic, ginger, cloves and onions till fragrant

- Add the chicken, tomatoes, pineapple, chillies and fry for 5 minutes on medium heat

- Add the water, coconut milk, and seasonings, and simmer on low heat for 25 minutes
- Squeeze some lime juice and serve with cooked rice and fresh salad!

*Tips:

- You can add vegetables such as bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots and potatoes to make it a more substantial stew

- I experimented with adding coriander seeds, kaffir lime leaf and a stalk of lemongrass for different flavours

- I think the creamy stew will work well with pasta too
- Omit the chillies for a kid-friendly version

Recipe courtesy of Carlyn Law, Eattodraw.com