Chicken rice: often known as Hainanese chicken rice, is a Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine. This is a simple and delicious chicken rice recipe.
Sherie of Maameemoomoo is a serious and brilliant cook when she spends countless hours perfecting her recipes, even if it means the family has to eat the same dish repeatedly. Her Hainanese chicken rice, a renowned Malaysian and Singaporean dish is no exception.
Maameemoomoo’s cuisine blog is a finalist for the Singapore Blog Award; it tempts with tasty recipes and exquisite photographs and is sure to pique your interest.
Please accept Maameemoomoo’s invitation to Rasa Malaysia, as well as her recipe for excellent Hainanese chicken rice. Enjoy!
I first learned about Rasa Malaysia from one of my favorite food blogs back in 2006. For years, I’ve been quietly supporting Bee without her knowledge. but now, errrmmm… not so silently, aye? 🙂
I was both excited and concerned when Bee invited me to write a guest article for her last month.
Why?
Take a peek at the recipe index on the Bee’s website. There isn’t a single Malaysian/ Singaporean cuisine that hasn’t been featured on Rasa Malaysia.
Fortunately, one of the two options made Bee happy, and she quickly agreed because she hadn’t previously presented this particular cuisine.
Hainanese chicken rice is a Chinese dish most often associated with Hainanese, Malaysian, and Singaporean cuisines. The popular Hainanese dish, Wenchang chicken (文昌雞), is the inspiration of this dish. However, don’t be shocked if the chicken rice offered in Hainan, China, differs from Southeast Asia. Over time, the Chinese Hainanese clan who came to Southeast Asia adapted, resulting in today’s Hainanese chicken rice in Singapore and Malaysia.
As a Hainanese, I used to eat this a lot when I was younger. This dish has a special place in my mother’s heart, probably because it is the only Hainanese food she can make flawlessly. Tee Hee Hee!
So, what does a great plate of chicken rice look like?
You might be surprised to learn that each of us defines it differently. While I prefer a spicy rice dish, others may choose the oh-so-tender chicken pieces with their silky smooth skin or the one-of-a-kind chili sauce.
Whatever works for you, I say, and that’s that.
Due to my lack of chicken chopping skills, I cut the chicken into simply four quarters and let the kids tear the meat off themselves.
On the other hand, my poor family has been eating chicken rice for over five weeks in a row since I told Bee that I’d make a decent-looking plate of chicken rice for her!
Fortunately, on my fifth effort, I was rewarded with a plate of acceptable-looking chicken pieces, and I assumed that was the end of my chicken rice supper for at least the next three months, but guess what?
I’ve recently received a request to prepare this dish on Sunday for my partner’s family and his adored sister, who will be returning from a brief vacation in the United States!
It’s not easy to get sick of Hainanese chicken rice, is it?
What are some ideas for serving this recipe?
I offer the following recipes for a healthy supper and a quick midweek dinner.
INGREDIENTS:
RICE REQUIREMENTS
- 3 cups rinsed uncooked rice
- 5 tbsp oil (vegetable)
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 4 shallots, finely chopped
- 2 + 1/2 cups plus 2 tbsp chicken broth
- 4-6 pandan leaf blades, screwpine leaves
- 1 tiny ginger thumb, washed and bruised
- 1 tablespoon oil made from garlic and shallots
- 70 g fats from chicken
- 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp salt to season
TO MAKE THE CHICKEN
- 1 entire chicken, preferably organic and free-range.
- 1 tiny ginger thumb, washed and bruised
- 5-6 cleaned scallion stalks
- 10 quarts chicken stock (modify as needed)
- 4 pandan leaf blades, screwpine leaves
- 1 carrot, cut roughly
- 2 tbsp plus 1 tsp salt
- ten bowls of ice water
- 1 cucumber, peeled, halved, and diagonally sliced
TO MAKE THE SAUCE
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (mild)
- 2 tbsp broth (chicken)
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil
- 3 tsp shallot and garlic oil
- SAUCE FOR CHICKEN RICE WITH CHILLI
- 90 g (3 oz.) red chilies (optional: bird’s eye chili)
- garlic, 15 g
- ginger, 50 g (2 oz.)
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 2 oz. chicken broth, 50 ml
- lime juice, 60 ml (2 oz.) to taste
- GARNISHING
- a few cilantro sprigs
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN RICE
INSTRUCTIONS:
TO MAKE THE CHICKEN
- Wash the chicken, drain well, then stuff the cavity with ginger and onion. Scrape 2 teaspoons salt all over the chicken to give it a smooth appearance.
- Boil the chicken stock with the pandan leaves, carrot, and salt in a not-too-large stockpot that fits the chicken nicely. Make sure that the water level is enough to cover the whole chicken.
- Place the whole chicken in the boiling water, breast side down, for 35-45 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken. Reduce the heat to a moderate simmer right away.
- After preparing the chicken, remove it from the pan and immediately immerse it in cold water for 10 minutes. Keep the chicken broth** in the fridge for later.
- Drain the chicken, remove the ginger and scallion from the cavity, and leave it aside to cool before cutting it into preferred serving sizes.
RICE REQUIREMENTS
- Heat the oil and cook the chopped shallots and garlic until aromatic and brown in a wok. Stir in the rice thoroughly. Fill the rice cooker halfway with the rice mixture.
- Add chicken broth, pandan leaves, ginger, garlic, shallot oil, chicken fats, and salt to the rice mixture once transferred. Follow the instructions in the rice cooker accordingly.
INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO PREPARE THE CHICKEN RICE:
- On a serving tray, arrange the cucumber slices.
- Place the chicken pieces on top, then pour the sauce over the top and garnish with cilantro.
- Serve with chicken rice, a side of soup, and a chili sauce for the rice.
- **Any leftover chicken broth can be served as a side soup, topped with chopped cilantro or scallions. My soup with fish balls is one of my favorites. 😉