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1
Pound or blend the shallots, garlic, kemiri, and galangal to a coarse paste. The paste is ready when it holds together and releases its raw allium fragrance without remaining chunky.
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2
Heat the clay wok over the charcoal brazier until the charcoal glows white and the wok radiates intense, even heat. This is where the dish lives or dies: the smoky character of arang-fired clay cannot be replicated by gas, and the wok must reach that heat before any ingredient enters — the moment the paste hits the surface, it should sizzle and catch immediately.
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3
Add the oil, then fry the spice paste with the salam leaves, stirring constantly, until the raw smell dissipates and the paste deepens to a golden, fragrant mass.
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4
Add the sliced chicken and toss in the paste until the pieces are sealed and no raw surface remains visible.
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5
Add the noodles and pour the kecap manis over them. Toss everything together continuously, working quickly at high heat, until the noodles are evenly lacquered in the dark, sweet soy and carry the char of the wok on their surface.
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6
Taste and adjust salt. The finish should be sweet, smoky, and rounded — the kecap manis forward but not cloying, the noodles yielding but not slack.