Lemper Ayam – Indonesian Sticky Rice Rolls with Chicken Filling
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Lemper Ayam is a popular authentic Indonesian dish made of sticky rice filled with savory spiced chicken. It is a gluten-free snack or appetizer perfect to enjoy on the go, at parties, or as street food from a food truck or market stall.
It combines the comforting taste of glutinous rice with a flavorful filling. Traditionally lemper is made with shredded chicken, this version features ground chicken, offering a simpler yet equally delicious twist.
How is Lemper Ayam Prepared?
Lemper Ayam involves two main steps: preparing the sticky rice roll (the Lemper) and cooking the chicken filling (the Ayam).
The glutinous ketan rice is steamed twice with fragrant herbs like pandan, lemongrass, and lime leaves, then combined with seasoned coconut milk for flavor. The chicken is cooked with spices such as turmeric, coriander, and cumin, and simmered in coconut milk. Finally, the rice and chicken are shaped into rolls and wrapped tightly.
Continue reading below for the full recipe with ingredients and step-by-step instructions.
Grandmother’s Lemper Recipe
This lemper recipe is based on my grandmother’s handwritten recipe, which I have framed above my desk. Her recipe, though, is a little scattered. It’s missing steps, measurements, and details – a “little bit of this, little bit of that” approach. I wish I could ask her to explain, but she’s no longer here to share her wisdom. Even so, I’m grateful to have it and have been able to figure out the missing pieces along the way.
Lemper is a family favorite, and my son is a true lemper enthusiast. It was the first food he ate when we moved to the Netherlands from New York, and he instantly fell in love with it. Since then, he’s been on a mission to try lempers from everywhere – Indonesian restaurants, family gatherings, pasar malams (street markets) – and he’s developed a good sense of what makes a great one. Together, we’ve tested this recipe again and again until it got his seal of approval.
Like many Indonesian dishes, there isn’t just one way to make lemper. Recipes vary based on family traditions, regional differences, personal tastes, or even what’s available in your pantry. Most chicken lempers are made with shredded chicken, but my grandmother’s recipe notes mention you can also use ground chicken or even ground beef if that’s what you prefer.
Her ingredient list begins with “1 1/2 kattie ketan,” with Kattie being an old-fashioned measurement. She explained it meant 1 kilo of ketan (glutinous rice) – about 5 cups. The recipe I’m sharing here uses half that amount, but if you want to make a larger batch, simply double the ingredients!
To get truly sticky rice, it’s essential to steam it twice. I often use a stainless-steel steam pan for convenience, but a traditional bamboo steamer works beautifully too and gives the rice a gentle, even cook.
Grandma wrote detailed instructions on how to prepare the rice: soaking it, steaming it, adding coconut milk and pandan, and then steaming again. You can pre-soak the rice for about 4 hours, but her notes suggest soaking the rice overnight. So that is what I always do.
Grandma used to make her coconut milk by squeezing fresh coconut, but I think most of us can agree that canned coconut milk works just as well and is much easier. Another thing I love about her notes is how she called turmeric (Indonesian koenjit) simply “yellow powder”. She used a lot of it, too, giving the filling its signature flavor and color.
If you’re new to Indonesian cooking or want to stock your pantry with authentic ingredients like ketan rice, pandan leaves, and galangal, check out my guide to Indonesian ingredients.
Lemper is traditionally wrapped in banana leaves to keep the rice soft and sticky. Nowadays, plastic wrap is commonly used. When I was a child, my grandma used aluminum foil instead. I remember her and my aunts warning me not to bite into it. Definitely good advice if you’ve ever accidentally bitten into foil, you know!
Lemper shapes also vary. Most lempers today are rolled into a cylindrical, sausage-like shape, but my grandmother’s were more like a small oval ball. Let me know in the comments if you recognize this, oval lempers wrapped in aluminum, or was it just how my family made them?
Tips for Working with Sticky Rice
When handling sticky rice, it’s helpful to wear disposable gloves or slightly wet your hands with water or oil. This prevents the rice from sticking to your fingers and makes it easier to work with.
Keep some paper towels nearby to wipe your hands as needed. I always try to touch the rice as little as possible. Use a spoon to transfer the rice from the pot onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Then, use the plastic to flatten and roll the rice. This method minimizes direct contact with the rice and keeps your hands clean while shaping the lemper.
Lemper (Indonesian Sticky Rice with Chicken)
Lemper Ayam, a traditional Indonesian sticky rice roll filled with chicken. This gluten-free dish is perfect for lunches or as a filling snack.
Fits dairy-free and gluten-free diets.
Ingredients
Sticky Rice
- 2 ½ cups glutinous rice (500 gram)
- 1 cup coconut milk (250 ml)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised
- 2 pandan leaves, tied in a knot
- 2 makrut lime leaves (jeruk purut)
Filling
- 3–4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp coriander powder (ketoembar)
- 2 tsp cumin powder (jinten)
- ½ tsp galangal powder (laos)
- 1 tsp turmeric powder (koenjit)
- 2 makrut lime leaves (jeruk purut)
- ¾ cup coconut milk (2200 ml
- ½ tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
Preparing the Sticky Rice
- Rinse the rice thoroughly until the water runs clear. Then, soak it for at least 4 hours or leave it overnight.
- Drain the soaked rice and steam it for 15 minutes. This first steaming softens the rice but doesn’t fully cook it yet. Make a small opening in the center of the rice mound in your steamer to help the steam circulate evenly.
- In a separate pan, heat the coconut milk with salt, pandan leaves, lemongrass, and jeruk purut leaves until it starts to simmer. Then turn off the heat.
- Add the steamed rice to the coconut milk mixture and stir well. Cover until all the moisture is absorbed (about 10 minutes).
- Transfer the rice back to the steamer and steam it for another 30 minutes. When done, the rice should be fully cooked, tender, and sticky. Remove the leaves and let the rice cool slightly before using it.
If you prefer hands-off cooking, an electric rice cooker with a steaming tray can work well for preparing the sticky rice.
Making the Filling
- Heat a little oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté the minced garlic and chopped onion until golden and fragrant.
- Add chicken and cook, stirring, until crumbly.
- Stir in coriander, cumin, galangal, turmeric, and lime leaves. Cook for about a minute to release the flavors.
- Add coconut milk. Simmer until the liquid has mostly evaporated.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the lime leaves and let the filling cool.
Assembling the Rolls
Make sure the sticky rice is cooked and slightly warm but cool enough to handle.
To make rolling the lemper ayam easier, I use a sushi mat making it simpler to shape the rolls. I cut a piece of plastic wrap to the size of the mat and place it on top. This is the same plastic that will be used to wrap the lemper once it’s done.
- Place 2 tablespoons of the sticky rice onto a piece of plastic wrap. Fold the plastic wrap over the rice and press it flat to form a rectangle, roughly the size of your palm. If the edges are uneven, add a little more rice and flatten again.
- Unfold the plastic wrap and place about 1-2 tablespoons of the chicken filling in the center of the rice. Be careful not to overfill, make sure there’s enough rice on all sides to seal the roll.
- Using the plastic wrap to help, fold the edges of the rice over the filling. Gently shape the rice around the filling, pressing and molding it into a roll. The filling should be completely enclosed with no gaps.
- Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and turn the ends to secure.
- Repeat the process with the remaining rice and filling. The first few might take some practice, but even if they’re not perfect, they’ll still taste great!
Notes
If you’re not serving them immediately, lemper can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Simply reheat them in the steamer or microwave before serving. Or store in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 315Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 138mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 6g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated. These figures should be considered estimates.
This looks great! I’m thinking of making this for my daughter’s wedding. I have a few questions to ask and hoping you could email me.
Hi Julia, congratulations on your daughter’s upcoming wedding! You can ask your questions here, it might be helpful for others too.
Or you can send me a message through the contact form: https://dishfullofmemories.com/contact/
I’m hoping to get reconnected with my Dutch-Indo heritage. Your recipes will be instrumental in getting me connected. Thank you
That’s so nice to hear! I hope my recipes bring back special memories or maybe inspire some new ones.
If there are any special recipes you’re hoping to find or recreate, let me know!