Dr Rupy’s Inauthentic Singaporean Chicken Rice
This simple chicken and rice dish from Dr Rupy is packed full of Hainanese-inspired flavour and makes for an easy nutritious weeknight dinner.
From the book
Dr Rupy Cooks: Healthy. Easy. Flavour
Over 100 easy and accessible flavour packed recipes
From healthy weekday dinners to nutritious one-pot dishes
Developed for maximum health benefit, accessibility and taste
Introduction
A take on Hainanese chicken, with wonderful aromatic flavours, delicious spices and plenty of colourful greens to serve with a gorgeously flavoured rice. Cooking a chicken in this way is super economical and low waste, as well as bringing out the best from the produce.
Ingredients
| 1 x 1.5kg | chicken |
| 50g | fresh ginger, sliced |
| 6 | garlic cloves, unpeeled, bashed |
| 4 tbsp | tamari or soy sauce |
| 2 tbsp | coriander seeds |
| 2 tsp | black peppercorns |
| 3 | star anise |
| 6 | cloves |
| 300g | short-grain brown rice, rinsed well |
| To serve: | |
|---|---|
| 400g | choi sum or pak choi |
| 300g | ripe tomatoes, diced |
| 1 | cucumber, thinly sliced |
| 4 | spring onions, shredded |
| Small bunch of | coriander, torn |
| 4 tbsp | Cheat's Quick Chilli Oil or Chinese chiu chow chilli oil (shop bought) |
| For the Cheat's Quick Chilli Oil: | |
| 3 tbsp | light olive oil |
| 1 tsp | toasted sesame oil |
| 2 tsp | tamari or light soy sauce |
| ½ tsp | brown sugar |
| 1 | garlic clove, grated |
| ½ tsp | chilli flakes |
Method
Put the chicken into a large stockpot and pour over enough cold water to completely cover. Add the ginger, garlic, tamari or soy sauce and spices, then bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 40 minutes, skimming the surface occasionally to remove any impurities. Remove from the heat and leave to stand with the lid on for 10 minutes, then transfer the chicken to a baking tray, cover loosely with foil and set aside to rest.
Strain the poaching broth into a jug, skim off any fat, then pour 600ml back into the pan (any leftover broth can be chilled or frozen). Add the rice, bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to stand with the lid on for a further 10 minutes.
When the rice is nearly ready, steam the choi sum or pak choi in a separate pan for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted.
Take the chicken breast off the bone and cut into thick slices. Pull the thigh and leg meat away from the bone. Season the rice with a little extra tamari or soy sauce, if needed. Serve the chicken with the rice, choi sum, tomatoes and cucumber, drizzled with the chilli oil. Garnish with the spring onions and coriander.
CHEAT’S QUICK CHILLI OIL
Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and warm gently until the garlic starts to fizz. Remove the pan from the heat, stir for 1 minute then leave to cool.
