Step 1

Rinse quails under cold water; pat dry. Discard necks from quails. Using kitchen scissors, cut along each side of each quail's backbone; discard backbones. Halve each quail along breastbone.

Step 2

Combine quail in large bowl with kecap manis and half the peanut oil. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour. Drain quail; pat dry.

Step 3

Heat vegetable oil in wok; deep-fry quail, in batches, about 6 minutes or until skin is crisp and quails are cooked. Drain. (Cool oil completely, carefully remove from wok; if desired, store in glass jar, in refrigerator, for future use.)

Step 4

Heat remaining peanut oil in cleaned wok; stir-fry ginger, garlic and chilli until fragrant. Return quail to wok with extra kecap manis; stir-fry until quail is hot. Remove from heat; sprinkle with onion.