Hainanese chicken rice was adapted in Singapore, introduced by immigrants within the last 100 years from the Chinese subtropical island of Hainan.

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The most popular way to prepare the dish is to use the chicken in all ways, chicken as the main, in the soup used to make flavored rice and infused into the chili sauce.

If you go to Hainan Island in China expecting to find what we have in Singapore, you’d be sorely disappointed!

Preparing The Chicken

Ingredients

• 1.5ml water

• 1/2 bulb of garlic

• A knob of ginger, crushed

• 2 tsp. salt

• 2 tbsp. sesame oil

• Coriander and spring onion for taste

• Sliced cucumbers for plating

Instructions

1. Boil water with garlic and ginger.
2. Wash and lightly salt chicken with 1 teaspoon of salt.
3. Boil chicken for about 45 minutes.
4. Once cooked, rub sesame oil and the rest of the salt on the chicken.
5. Cut and serve on a bed of cucumbers.

Preparing The Rice

Ingredients

• 2 cups of rice

• 4 cups water

• 1/2 tsp of salt

• 2 tbsp. of my Grandma’s secret reduced chicken rice sauce which is made from boiling and reducing lemongrass, pandan leaves, garlic, ginger, ginger flower and chicken fat together

Instructions

1. Wash rice and place in pot
2. Add water, salt and secret sauce
3. Boil for half an hour. When the water starts to boil, open the cover and lower fire to medium until water is the same level as the rice. Close the lid, and allow rice to steam on a very small fire until there is no more water.

This recipe serves four.

Of course, no chicken rice recipe is complete without the chili, so don’t forget yours!

_{Image credit: Malaysia grilled chicken rice. Asian style Hainan chicken rice close-up. Asian food from Shutterstock
Edited by Monina Euginio}

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