A rustic sweet-savoury Nyonya braised stew thickened with fermented yellow soybean paste (taucheo) and finished with gula Melaka. Often cited as the most recognisable Nyonya home dish.
Ayam pongteh is a rustic sweet-savoury Nyonya braised stew, often cited as the most recognisable Nyonya home dish. The defining ingredient is taucheo, a fermented yellow soybean paste that is Chinese, while the gula Melaka sweetness and slow-braise method are Malay-Peranakan. The dish is a fusion emblem, eaten at everyday Nyonya meals with rice, and a pork version, babi pongteh, is served at celebrations. It belongs to the Malacca Nyonya tradition.
Deeply savoury and gently sweet, the gravy thick and clingy from the bean paste, the chicken falling apart tender, the potatoes soft and soaked through. Eaten with rice, it is comforting, sweet-savoury and unmistakably Nyonya.
The rempah here is built on pounded shallots and garlic, but the real flavour driver is taucheo, the fermented bean paste, which is fried in oil to release its savoury depth. The chicken and potatoes are added and braised in a little water and soy, with gula Melaka stirred in for a rounded sweetness. The long, covered braise is what gives the dish its thick, clingy gravy and tender chicken; taucheo both seasons and thickens.
Variations
A pork version replaces chicken with pork belly. Some cooks add dried shiitake mushrooms.
On the Palate
Where Ayam Pongteh sits in the Malaysian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6
How it's made
6 steps · 25 min
- 16 min
Pound 8 shallots and 5 cloves garlic to a coarse paste.
- 27 min
Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pot; fry the paste 4 minutes, then add 3 tbsp taucheo (fermented yellow bean paste) and fry another 3 minutes until fragrant.
Watch outFry the taucheo in the oil a few minutes until fragrant before the chicken goes in — frying is what releases its savory depth; it both seasons and thickens the gravy.
- 36 min
Add 1 jointed chicken (about 1.2kg), 2 diced potatoes, 2 tbsp dark soy sauce and 1 tbsp gula Melaka; stir to coat.
- 418 min
Pour in 300ml water, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 40 minutes until the chicken is tender and the gravy is thick.
Watch outCover and simmer forty minutes until the gravy turns thick and clingy — the long braise is what tenderizes the chicken and reduces the sauce to coat every piece.
- 54 min
Taste and adjust salt and sugar; the gravy should be savoury-sweet.
- 62 min
Serve hot with steamed rice.
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