I love Soto Ayam. I’m not sure if its a Malaysian dish or an Indonesian dish but its a dish I learnt to cook from a Malaysian recipe book ages ago. Soto is sold at many hawker stalls and local eateries in Malaysia too, so I think it must be a Malaysian dish!

Whatever it is, every one has her own way of preparing it so it does not really matter if its a Malaysian dish or an Indonesian dish.

Its a very adaptable dish..when I want to eat it carb free, I omit the potatoes in the meat patties and of course the rice cakes or noodles.

One of the ingredients in this dish is ketupat or nasi impit (compressed rice cubes), you must make these the night before and keep in the fridge.

INGREDIENTS

Chicken soup:
300 gms chicken bones
300 gms chicken breast
4 cm cinammon stick
1 star anise
2 cardamoms
10 black peppercorns
1 tsp coriander powder
3/4 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp fennel powder
5 cm ginger, peeled and crushed
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 Maggi chicken cube
1 litre water

Beef patties:
300 gms potatoes (optional for low-carb)
300 gms low-fat minced beef
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large egg
4 tbsp fried onions
Spray oil for frying

300 gms bean sprouts
2-3 sprigs spring onions
2-3 springs flat celery if desired
Crispy fried onions
5-6 bird chillies
1 tbsp thick soya sauce
2 tbsp water

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare the soup:
   Clean the chicken bones, remove any skin or fat. In a heavy pan, place all the ingredients and the chicken bones (not the chicken breast) and bring to a slow boil. Continue cooking for 30 minutes until the soup tastes of all the flavours of the spices and the chicken. Add the chicken breast and cook again on the slow fire until the soup is clear again and the chicken breast is cooked. Remove chicken breast and let cool.
2. Prepare the beef patties (“pegedil”):
   If using potatoes in the beef patties, clean and boil them. When cool, peel and mash them in a bowl. Add the minced beef, fried shallots, salt and pepper and mix well. Lightly beat the egg in another bowl, add to the mixture and mix well. Heat a pan, spray with a little oil. Form small balls with about 2 tbsp of the mixture and then flatten to look like a burger. Cook on medium fire until both sides are well-done. Place in a serving dish.
3. Shred the cooked chicken breast following the natural grain of the chicken. Place in serving dish.
4. Cut the ketupat / nasi impit into cubes.
5. Wash the bean sprouts and tail them if necessary and blanch in boiling water. Drain and place in serving dish.
6. To prepare the hot chilli condiment, use a pestle and mortar to crush the bird chillies. Place in a small bowl and add the soya sauce and water.

To serve Aoto Ayam:

In a bowl, place a few pieces of ketupat, some beansprouts, beef patties and shredded chicken. Pour hot chicken soup over it generously, sprinkle some fried onions, spring onions and celery and top off with the spicy chilly condiment.