Opor facts for kids
Opor ayam telur, braised chicken and eggs in coconut milk, the most common type of opor
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| Place of origin | Indonesia |
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| Region or state | Central Java, East Java, Nationwide |
| Associated national cuisine | Indonesia |
| Main ingredients | Various ingredients cooked in coconut milk and spices |
Opor is a delicious dish from Indonesia, especially from a region called Central Java. It's made by cooking and simmering ingredients in creamy coconut milk. In Indonesia, the word 'opor' actually means this special way of cooking with coconut milk.
Opor is a very popular meal for a big celebration called lebaran or Eid ul-Fitr. People often enjoy it with ketupat, which is a type of rice cake, and sambal goreng ati, a spicy beef liver dish. If you visit Yogyakarta, another city in Indonesia, you might find chicken or egg opor served with gudeg (a sweet jackfruit stew) and rice.
Making Opor: The Ingredients
The main ingredients for Opor are usually meat, like chicken or beef, or sometimes eggs. These are cooked in coconut milk with a mix of yummy spices. Some of these spices include palm sugar, lemongrass, lemon leaf, and ground garlic. You'll also find shallot, candlenut, black pepper, galangal, and coriander. A little cooking oil is used too.
The meat is slowly cooked, or braised, over a small flame. This continues until it's fully cooked and the coconut milk sauce becomes thick and rich. Opor usually has a light grey-white color and a slightly thin, soupy texture.
How Opor is Different
Opor is similar to other Indonesian dishes like sayur lodeh, gulai, and kari. This is because they all use coconut milk as their base. However, Opor uses fewer spices compared to some other traditional Indonesian meals. It also doesn't use turmeric or chilli pepper. This is why Opor keeps its unique whitish color, looking just like the coconut milk it's made from!
Different Kinds of Opor
The most common type of Opor is opor ayam, which is chicken Opor. But you can make Opor with many other ingredients too! Some other popular kinds include:
