Itik Lado Hijau

Padang·Medium·50 min active + 55 min resting

Padang spicy duck with green chili — duck pieces braised with shallot and turmeric, then simmered down in abundant green-chili paste (sambal lado mudo) until coated — a fiery green Padang duck dish from Bukittinggi.

Itik Lado Hijau ('duck in green chili') is a signature dish of Bukittinggi (West Sumatra highlands) — one of the few Padang dishes that exclusively uses green rather than red chilies. The duck is first cooked (boiled or pre-roasted) to render fat and tenderize, then tossed with a generous amount of sambal lado mudo to coat. The dish is intensely spicy — Bukittinggi cooks use 30+ green chilies for 4 portions. The combination of fatty duck meat + sharp green chili is what makes the dish distinctive; ducks have richer fat than chicken, which carries the chili oils beautifully.

Tender braised duck coated in a vibrant green sambal, kaffir lime leaves running through it, the duck fat carrying the chili oils. Fatty duck, green-chili heat, lime, shallot — a Bukittinggi classic. The heat builds slowly but is serious by the third bite; white rice cools it between bites, and a cold beer helps.

Duck's high fat content (~30%) is key — it absorbs the chili-pepper oils and carries them throughout the meat. Lean meats like chicken don't carry the chili intensity the same way. The two-stage cook (braise then sambal-toss) is structural: braising tenderizes the duck while removing some fat (which would be too rich if all retained), and the sambal-toss applies the flavor at the end.

Variations

Bukittinggi canonical with green chili + duck; Pekanbaru variant uses red chili (becomes Itik Lado Merah); modern restaurants offer chicken substitute (Ayam Lado Hijau) for less-fatty version; the dish is exclusively West Sumatran — outside Padang restaurants rarely make it.

On the Palate

Where Itik Lado Hijau sits in the Indonesian flavor cloud

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 whole (~1kg)Duck

20 bird's eye + 6 largeGreen Chili

6Shallot

4 clovesGarlic

5cmGalangal

5cm + 5cm braiseGinger

How it's made

7 steps · 50 min active + 55 min waiting

1
55 min
Cut 1 whole duck (or 800g duck pieces) into 8 portions. In a heavy pot, place duck + 1.5L water + 1 tsp salt + 2 bay leaves + 1 tsp turmeric powder + 5cm sliced ginger. Bring to a boil; reduce heat; simmer 50 min until tender.
Watch out
Simmer the duck until a fork slides in easily — under-cooked duck stays chewy and the fat won't render enough to carry the chili.
2
8 min
Drain duck (reserve broth for another use); cool slightly. Pat dry. Optional: pan-sear in 2 tbsp oil 3 min per side to crisp the skin.
3
12 min
Meanwhile prepare sambal lado mudo: in a wok, heat 6 tbsp neutral oil. Sauté 20 green bird's eye chilies + 6 large green chilies + 6 shallots + 4 garlic cloves + 5cm galangal (sliced) + 4 kaffir lime leaves over medium heat 10 min until softened.
Watch out
Sauté the green chili paste until it softens and smells fragrant, not raw — that mellows the harsh raw-chili bite before it meets the duck.
4
6 min
Transfer to a stone mortar (or pulse food processor). Add 2 tsp salt + 1 tsp palm sugar + 1 tbsp lime juice. Pound to a coarse paste.
5
9 min
In the same wok (with the oil), return the sambal. Add the cooked duck pieces; stir to coat thoroughly. Cook 5-8 min over medium heat to integrate flavors and let the duck absorb the sambal.
Watch out
Toss the duck in the sambal over medium heat until every piece is glossy and coated — this is where the flavor actually goes in, so don't rush it.
6
2 min
Adjust salt. Stir in 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (or Vietnamese coriander, kemangi).
7
5 min
Plate: heap duck pieces on a plate with sambal-coated everything visible. Serve with white rice, lalapan (raw vegetables), and crackers. Pair with cold beer or es teh.