Also known as the Keeling Islands, the Cocos Islands are a small archipelago in the Indian ocean, consisting of two atolls, each with about a dozen coral islands. They are located close to Sumatra, but they are legally an Australian external territory. The islands were uninhabited until the early 19th century, when an Englishman settled in the islands with his harem of forty Malay women. Soon after, a Scottish merchant captain also settled in the island with his family and eight sailors. A feud ensured, some of the women left the Englishman for the sailors and the Englishman eventually gave up and left. The Scotsman, meanwhile, hired Malay workers to labor in his new plantation in the island, making the availability of women his selling point. Eventually, the British empire annexed the islands, and these were transferred to Australia in 1955. Today, about 600 people live in the Cocos Islands, mostly descendants of the original Malay immigrants.

Coccosian cuisine is based on Malay cuisine, but it's been simplified due to the unavailability of many Malay ingredients. It's also acquired Australian and other influences, through immigrants and tourists. As their name implies, the economy of the Cocos Islands is based on coconuts, and this ingredient features prominently in its cuisine. For decades, Cocos Islanders were paid for their work through food tokens for the company store, and thus were very limited on the ingredients they could use for their cooking. This led them to develop some unique dishes, such as dried fish and colorful crackers.

For my quick sojourn into the cuisine of the Cocos Islands, I made:

Ayam Panggang

Baked Chicken in Coconut Sauce

Ayam Panggang is a simplified version of the Indo-Malayan dish of the same name, quite popular in the Cocos Islands. It was quite simple to make and, unlike many Malay dishes, it doesn't require anything you are unlikely to have in your pantry. While the dish is quite spicy, due to the abundant peppers, the flavor itself is pretty mild and pleasant. Baking it in the sauce led to a very moist chicken.

My husband liked it very much. Unfortunately, the sauce was too spicy for me, even though I removed most of the seeds from the chilies.

This dish is traditionally served with jasmine rice and eaten with your hands.

PRINT PDF

Cocos Islands Baked Chicken in Coconut Sauce This recipe requires marination Ingredients 1 handful long red chillies, fresh or dried 1 onion, peeled and quartered 3 garlic cloves, peeled and halved (optional) 1/2" piece of ginger, peeled 3 candlenuts or 4 macadamia or Brazil nuts 1 Tbsp coriander seeds 1/2 tsp ground turmeric 1/4 tsp cumin seeds 1 small shrimp paste or seasoning cube salt to taste 1 cup coconut cream 1 Tbsp coconut or vegetable oil 4 - 5 lbs chicken parts 2 Tbsp lemon juice Directions If using fresh chilies, trim and seed them to taste. If using dried chilies, first soak then in water for 30 minutes before trimming and seeding them. Transfer to a mortar or the jar of an electric blender. Add the onion, garlic (if using), ginger, nuts, coriander seeds, turmeric, cumin seeds, seasoning cube and salt to taste to the blender. Add the coconut cream and the oil. Blend into a smooth paste, adding a little water if necessary. Put chicken in a bowl and cover all surfaces with the paste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Transfer chicken to an over-safe baking pan. Top with any remaining marinade. Drizzle lemon juice on top. Cover pan with aluminum foil and put in the oven. Bake for one hour, turning the chicken every 20 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for another 30 minutes.

Adapted from Calisha Bennett's recipe at The Guardian

Related cuisines I've explored so far: Australian, Ambonese, Balinese, Bruneian, Dayak, Indonesian, Jakartan, Javanese, Kalimantan, Kelantanese, Lombokish

Do you have a comment on this recipe? Please make it here