History

Although Ayam Taliwang is said to be a dish favoured by Sasak

Sasak

The Sasak live mainly on the island of Lombok, Indonesia, numbering around 2.6 million . They are related to the Balinese in language and race, although the Sasak are predominantly Muslim while the Balinese are Hindu....

 nobility, Abdul Hamid claims to have invented the dish in 1970. It is named after Karang Taliwang in Mataram

Mataram (city)

Mataram is the capital of the Province of West Nusa Tenggara . The city is situated within Lombok Barat Regency and lies on the western side of the island of Lombok, Indonesia...

, the capital of Lombok.

Preparation

Ayam Taliwang is made with chicken (preferably free range

Free range

thumb|250px|Free-range chickens being fed outdoors.Free range is a term which outside of the United States denotes a method of farming husbandry where the animals are allowed to roam freely instead of being contained in any manner. In the United States, USDA regulations apply only to poultry and...

), which is cut and cleaned prior to grilling. Once it has been grilled halfway, it is removed from the grill and tenderized with a pestle. It is then dipped in cooking oil; after several seconds in the oil, it is put in a spicy sauce of garlic, chili, and shrimp paste. It is then fried or grilled to order.

Presentation

Ayam Taliwang physically appears similar to regular grilled or fried chicken, with a covering of sambal

Sambal

Sambal is a chili based sauce which is normally used as a condiment. Sambals are popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the southern Philippines and Sri Lanka, as well as in the Netherlands and in Suriname through Javanese influence. It is typically made from a variety of chili peppers and is...

. Its taste is sweet and spicy, with traces of shrimp paste

Shrimp paste

Shrimp paste or shrimp sauce, is a common ingredient used in Southeast Asian and Southern Chinese cuisine. It is known as terasi in Indonesian, ngapi in Burmese, kapi in Thai, Khmer and Lao language, belacan in Malay, mắm ruốc, mắm tép and mắm tôm in...

. It can be served with a side of water spinach (plecing) and eggplant (beberuk) covered with chili sauce.

Variations

The Taliwang flavour has been adapted for instant noodles.