Lemper Ayam – Sticky Rice Roll with Chicken in Banana Leaf

In Indonesia, you find lemper at market stalls and on buffets, usually as a handy roll in banana leaf. You steam sticky rice, let it soak up coconut milk and steam it a second time. In the center goes shredded chicken, dry-braised with shallots, garlic, coriander seed, turmeric and lemongrass. The filling must have no liquid left, or the rice turns soggy.

By Laura Chen · November 4, 2026

2 Stdtotal

6servings

510kcal

IndonesianCuisine ›

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Pass the banana leaves briefly over a gas flame or scald them so they turn pliable and do not tear when you roll. Eat lemper lukewarm or cold, out of hand. For Lemper Bakar, grill the finished packets in a pan until the leaf shows toasted spots.

Chinese Zongzi are cooked from raw rice in bamboo leaves, while lemper are rolled from pre-cooked rice. A sweet Malaysian sticky rice version with coconut and palm sugar is Pulut Inti. Spiced fish in banana leaf is steamed as Pepes Ikan.

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Lemper Ayam – Sticky Rice Roll with Chicken in Banana Leaf

Name: Lemper Ayam – Sticky Rice Roll with Chicken in Banana Leaf
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 500 g sticky rice; 250 ml coconut milk; 1 tsp salt; 2 pandan leaves, knotted; 300 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs; 4 shallots; 3 garlic cloves; 2 candlenuts or macadamia nuts; 1 tsp coriander seeds; 1/2 tsp ground turmeric; 1 tbsp oil; 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised; 2 makrut lime leaves; 150 ml coconut milk; 1 tbsp palm sugar; 1/2 tsp salt; 12 pieces banana leaf, 20 x 15 cm; 12 toothpicks

Laura Chen

Servings

Prep time

45 minutes

Cook time

75 minutes

Calories

510

Cuisine

Indonesian

Ingredients

For the rice:

500 g sticky rice
250 ml coconut milk
1 tsp salt
2 pandan leaves, knotted

For the filling:

300 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 shallots
3 garlic cloves
2 candlenuts or macadamia nuts
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp oil
1 stalk lemongrass, bruised
2 makrut lime leaves
150 ml coconut milk
1 tbsp palm sugar
1/2 tsp salt

For rolling:

12 pieces banana leaf, 20 x 15 cm
12 toothpicks

Instructions

Soak the sticky rice in cold water for 4 hours or overnight, then drain it.
Steam the rice for 20 minutes in a steamer basket lined with a cloth.
Warm the coconut milk, salt and pandan in a pot. Stir in the rice until it has absorbed the liquid, and steam it for another 20 minutes.
Boil the chicken in salted water for 15 minutes, let it cool and shred it with two forks.
Blend the shallots, garlic, nuts, coriander and turmeric with 2 tbsp water into a paste. Fry it with the lemongrass and lime leaves in the oil for 5 minutes.
Add the chicken, coconut milk, palm sugar and salt, and stir over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the filling is dry. Remove the lemongrass and leaves.
Scald the banana leaves with hot water and pat them dry. Press 2 tbsp of rice flat on each leaf, put 1 tbsp of filling on top and shape it into a roll with wet hands.
Wrap the leaf tightly around the rice, fold in the ends and fasten them with a toothpick.
Steam the packets for 15 minutes and let them rest for 10 minutes before serving.

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Lemper Ayam – Sticky Rice Roll with Chicken in Banana Leaf

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Lemper Ayam – Sticky Rice Roll with Chicken in Banana Leaf

Ingredients

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For the filling:

For rolling:

Instructions

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