Indonesian-Inspired Poached Chicken with Spiced Pumpkin and Coconut Rice
A vibrant and comforting skillet supper featuring tender poached chicken infused with traditional Indonesian spices, paired with spiced roasted pumpkin and fragrant coconut rice. This dish highlights seasonal autumn produce, embraces an uncommon cooking method in Indonesian cuisine—poaching—and offers a balanced weeknight meal.
Advert
Cook mode
Keep everything you need at arm’s reach - scaled servings, tidy checklists, and timers that stay on task.
Overview
This Indonesian-inspired skillet supper combines succulent, gently poached chicken infused with warm spices like turmeric and lemongrass alongside tender roasted pumpkin seasoned with aromatic spices. Coconut rice cooked with pandan leaves complements the flavors, creating a comforting and balanced one-pan meal perfect for autumn evenings.
Why you’ll love it
Using poaching to cook the chicken ensures moist, tender meat infused with Indonesian aromatics, offering a lighter alternative to frying or roasting. The spiced pumpkin highlights seasonal produce, and the creamy coconut rice adds a fragrant, mildly sweet contrast. The recipe is approachable for weeknight dinners and offers complex flavors without complicated steps.
Advert
Ingredient notes
Chicken: Use bone-in, skinless chicken thighs for tenderness and flavor. Poaching with aromatics extracts subtle flavor while keeping the chicken juicy.
Pumpkin: Choose a sugar pumpkin or kabocha squash for sweetness and firmness that roasts well.
Coconut rice: Jasmine rice cooked with canned coconut milk and pandan leaves for fragrance. If pandan leaves are unavailable, substitute with a small strip of lemon zest.
Serving & storage
Serve the poached chicken sliced alongside the spiced roasted pumpkin and coconut rice. Garnish with fresh cilantro and sliced red chilies if desired. Store leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently to avoid drying out the chicken.
Advert
Chef tips
- Check the chicken’s internal temperature with a meat thermometer to ensure proper doneness for food safety.
- If you do not have lemongrass, substitute with lemon zest and a splash of lime juice added to the poaching liquid.
- For a spicier version, add sliced fresh chili to the poaching liquid or sprinkle over before serving.
Ingredients
- 800 g (1.75 lb) bone-in, skinless chicken thighschicken thighs
- 1 tbsp vegetable oilvegetable oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped (about 100 g)onion
- 3 cloves garlic, mincedgarlic
- 2 cm piece fresh ginger, gratedfresh ginger
- 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised and chopped into 5 cm pieceslemongrass
- 1 tsp turmeric powderturmeric powder
- 1 tsp ground corianderground coriander
- 750 ml (3 cups) waterwater for poaching
- 500 g (1 lb) pumpkin, peeled and cut into 3 cm cubespumpkin
- 1 tsp ground cinnamonground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmegground nutmeg
- 1 tbsp brown sugarbrown sugar
- 1 tbsp vegetable oilvegetable oil for roasting pumpkin
- 300 g (1 1/2 cups) jasmine ricejasmine rice
- 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) canned coconut milkcanned coconut milk
- 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) waterwater for rice
- 2 pandan leaves, knotted (or 1 strip lemon zest)pandan leaves or lemon zest
- Salt to tastesalt
- Fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)fresh cilantro
- Red chili slices (optional, for garnish)red chili slices
Advert
Equipment
- large skillet or wide saucepan with lid
- baking tray
- mixing bowl
- medium saucepan with lid
- wooden spoon
- knife
- cutting board
Nutrition per serving
- Calories520
- Protein35 g
- Carbs55 g
- Fat15 g
Step-by-step
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).Step 2
Toss the cubed pumpkin with 1 tbsp vegetable oil, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl until evenly coated. Spread the pumpkin pieces evenly on a baking tray.Step 3
Roast the pumpkin in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, turning halfway through until tender and caramelized.Step 4
Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 3–4 minutes until translucent.Step 5
Add minced garlic, grated ginger, turmeric powder, and ground coriander to the skillet. Cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.Step 6
Add the bruised lemongrass stalks and 750 ml water to the skillet. Bring to a gentle simmer.Step 7
Add the chicken thighs to the simmering spiced broth. Cover and poach for 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through (internal temperature should reach 75°C or 165°F).Step 8
Remove the chicken from the broth and set aside to rest. Continue simmering the broth uncovered over medium heat to reduce slightly for 5 minutes, then discard lemongrass stalks.Step 9
While the chicken poaches, rinse 300 g jasmine rice under cold water until water runs clear.Step 10
In a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed rice, 400 ml coconut milk, 400 ml water, pandan leaves, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until rice is tender and liquid absorbed.Step 11
Remove the saucepan from heat and let rice rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove pandan leaves before serving.Step 12
Slice the rested chicken thighs. To serve, plate the coconut rice with poached chicken slices and roasted spiced pumpkin. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and red chili slices if desired.
Advert
Tags
Advert
Related recipes
Indonesian Poached Chicken with Tropical Fruit Sambal
A vibrant Indonesian dish featuring tender poached chicken served with a fresh sambal made from seasonal tropical fruits, balancing sweet and spicy flavors. Accompanied by steamed jasmine rice and lightly sautéed greens, this recipe highlights traditional techniques and seasonal produce for an easy weeknight meal.
Indonesian Pressure-Cooked Chicken Rendang with Coconut Rice
A fragrant and tender pressure-cooked chicken rendang featuring seasonal Indonesian spices and slow-simmered coconut rice. This dish highlights traditional Indonesian flavors using an accessible pressure cooking technique for a weeknight-friendly meal.
Indonesian Chicken Dumplings with Coconut Rice
Tender chicken-filled dumplings seasoned with traditional Indonesian spices, paired with fragrant coconut-infused rice. Prepared using pressure cooking for a quick and flavorful weeknight meal.