The Dead Cockroach: Alimama Green Chili Chicken Rice & Prawn Noodle @ Maxwell Food Centre

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While researching on what to have at Maxwell Food Centre, I came across this stall called Alimama Green Chili Chicken Rice that serve Indonesian fare such as nasi ayam pangang (grilled chicken rice) and nasi ikan bakari (grilled fish rice).

The stall is not difficult to locate as it is right next to Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice.

What caught my eye at Alimama, is item number one on their signboard - the green chili chicken rice ($6.50).

This dish is something new to me hence I am eager to try it out. I had expected it to be a Halal stall but on the contrary, it is not as they also serve prawn noodle with pork ribs, pig's skin and intestine.

It took about five minutes for the lady to assemble my order since everything were precooked.

On the plate was a chicken leg (drumstick + thigh), a serving of rice and a side of sayur lodeh.

I saw her dipping the chicken leg in the batter and into the wok of oil however, five minutes is probably an unrealistic timing for it to be fully cooked.

Therefore, I have reason to believe that the chicken leg was pre-fried and returned to the wok for a brief reheat when an order was made.

Nevertheless, I would rather my chicken be well-cooked than undercooked. I have, on more than one occasion, gotten chicken legs that are still raw, and oozing blood at the bones (from other stalls).

The sayur lodeh, which is mostly cabbage and eggplant, is cooked in a coconut broth that reminds me very much of lontong except it came without the compressed rice cake and the other usual vegetables like jicama and long bean.

What I am most impressed with, is that it tastes even better than the one from my regular Malay stall.

As a side dish, it hardly seem to play second fiddler to the chicken leg. If the stall offer their sayur lodeh as a main dish, I am sure that it can stand out on its own and take a prime spot on the signboard.

As for the rice, it is just plain white rice and not the Hainanese chicken kind of greasy rice that is flavored with chicken fat, ginger and pandan. However, it is doused with the fantastic coconut broth which makes it delightful to have.

Topped liberally with a layer of their special green chili, the deep fried chicken leg is crispy and hot to the touch.

For the ultimate enjoyment, the best way to have the chicken leg is to eat it with your hands, rather than with the fork and spoon. I could feel the batter crackle under my teeth and the tenderness of the flesh in my mouth.

The marinade has penetrated to the thicker parts of the chicken leg therefore it is tasty right down to the bone.

I noticed that the green chili is rather coarse in texture which led me to believe that they are pounded by hand (I imagined with a pestle and mortar) rather than with a food processor. The intact seeds seem to back up my observation.

I dabbed a little of the green chili against the tip of my tongue and found it to be quite tasty, with a kick that slowly manifest itself.

The sambal belacan on the side was piquant with a sharp sting and distinct smoky flavor.

Be warned that both chilis are extremely potent as they made me break out a sweat. I had to fan my tongue fervently in a bid to cool down.

I usually have a high threshold for spicy food but this proved to be quite a challenge.

Some might find the $6.50 (used to be $6 a couple of months ago) pricing on the high side but trust me, when you have had the $5.50 Hainanese chicken rice (just a drumstick with rice and cucumber) that I had over at Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre, you will find the big portions here justifiable for its price.

By the time you read this post, I have already returned for the green chili chicken rice two more times and both times, armed with a mug of sugar cane juice!