Roast and grind the coconut

• Roast the dried coconut over an open flame until charred, with a little brown in the center.
• Grind the charred coconut in a blender or mortar into a black powder (siyunog lahing).

Make the pamapa itum

• Mix the ground charred coconut with the red onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric, lemongrass, red chili, salt and black pepper.
• Blend or pound into a thick black spice paste.

Marinate the chicken

• Coat the chicken quarters lightly with the pamapa itum.
• Cover and marinate for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight in the fridge.

Stew the chicken

• Sauté the red onions, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and red chili for the stewing liquid.
• Add the pamapa itum and coconut milk, then add the marinated chicken.
• Simmer on low until the chicken is cooked through.

Reduce the basting liquid

• Remove the chicken and reserve the stewing liquid for basting.
• Add the fish sauce to the liquid and reduce until slightly thickened.

Grill and baste the chicken

• Grill the chicken over hot coals or a hot grill.
• Baste constantly with the reduced stewing liquid, turning as you go, until nicely charred.

Cook the Sulu-style sambal

• Sauté the red onion, garlic, ginger, red chili and shrimp paste in the oil.
• Add the tomatoes and cook until softened.
• Pour in the coconut milk, season with pepper and sugar, and cook slowly until the oil separates.

Cook the turmeric rice

• Combine the washed rice, water, turmeric powder and coconut milk in a saucepan.
• Cover and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed.

Serve

• Plate the grilled chicken with the turmeric rice and Sulu-style sambal.