Yunanese Fried Rice

A quick to prepare one meal dish which originated from the Yunan province.  I like the taste of the dried prawns which was added during the initial frying procedure.  I also added carrots and bell pepper although the original recipe does not call for them.

Ingredients (serves 4):
250 g beef, to be thinly sliced
3 pips garlic, to be peeled and chopped
1 tbsp dried prawns
2 eggs
1 medium-sized onion, to be peeled and coarsely cubed
1 stalk red chilli, to be coarsely cubed
1 medium-sized carrot, to be peeled and coarsely cubed (optional)
1 red bell pepper, to be deseeded and coarsely cubed (optional)
1 small can of green peas (optional)
1-2 tbsp margarine
roasted cashew nuts (for garnishing)

1/2 tsp ground pepper
a few drops of light soy sauce
a drop of sesame oil
1 tsp instant granulated chicken stock (optional)

Method:
In a wok, heat margarine over medium/high heat.  Add beef, garlic and dried prawns. Stir-fry until fragrant.  Then, add in eggs and scramble them.

Add chopped onions, carrots, bell pepper, green peas (if using) and red chillis.  Stir-fry for about 3 minutes.  Add in rice and mix thoroughly.  Add in seasonings to taste and reduce heat.  Cook for a further 5 minutes.

Once done, remove to a platter and sprinkle with roasted cashew nuts before serving.

Bon Appetit!

Flavoured Chicken Rice

A simple tasty dish for lunch today.  Most ingredients can be found in a well-stocked kitchen except the chicken.  Instead of cutting the chicken breast meat into bite pieces, I sliced it into escalopes for a change.

Ingredients (serves 2-3 persons):
350 g chicken breast, to be cut into bite pieces (I sliced it into escalopes this time)
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt

5 cm fresh ginger, to be finely shredded
2 pips garlic, to be finely sliced
2 shallots, to be finely sliced

1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 chicken cube, to be crumbled
1/4 tsp ground white pepper

5 dried mushrooms, to be soaked and thinly sliced
310 g jasmine rice
465 ml boiling water
chinese parsley
fried shallots
cooking oil

Method:
Marinate chicken with dark soy sauce and salt.  Leave aside for about 30 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, chicken cube and ground white pepper.  Mix well and leave aside.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat.  Pan-fry chicken until brown in colour on all sides.  Remove to a plate.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok over medium heat.  Stir-fry ginger, garlic and shallot slice until light brown.  Add mushrooms and stir-fry for about one minute.  Then, add rice and stir-fry until the oil is absorbed.  Then, add the sauce ingredients together with boiling water.  Cook until rice is almost dry.

Place fried chicken pieces on top of rice and cook with lid on for about half and hour. Remove lid and stir rice.  Cook covered for another 20 to 30 minutes.  Serve hot sprinkled with fried shallots and chopped chinese parsley.

Bon Appetit!

Claypot Chicken Rice

This is a one-meal chinese dish which is normally served in Singapore, Malaysia and China.  Traditionally, this dish is cooked in a claypot over a charcoal stove.  This type of cooking gives the dish a distinctive flavour but nowadays, it can be baked in an oven - the simple and quick method. There are several variations of this dish i.e. with salted fish, chinese sausage, etc. but the following recipe uses chicken meat.

Ingredients (serves 4):
600 g chicken breast, to be finely diced
2 cups (250 ml capacity) rice, to be rinsed and drained
300 ml chicken stock
2 tbsp cooking oil
8 dried mushrooms, to be soaked in hot water until soft and finely sliced (throw the stems away)

5 shallots, to be peeled, finely sliced and deep-fried until golden brown

Marinade Ingredients:
15 slices fresh ginger, to be cut into shreds
14 pips garlic, to be peeled and halved
2 tbsp dark, thick soy sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp salt or according to taste
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp cooking oil

Method:
In a bowl, mix all marinade ingredients together and add diced chicken.  Mix well, cover bowl and chill for at least one hour.  Preheat conventional oven to 180° C.

In an ovenproof dish, mix sliced mushroom, rice, cooking oil and chicken stock together. Then, add diced chicken and its marinade.  (Note:  To improve the taste, I suggest that one stir-fry the chicken and marinate in a wok (without oil) for a few minutes or until chicken changes colour.)  Mix thoroughly and cover dish with aluminium foil (shiny side down).  Bake for about 30 minutes.

Remove dish from oven and by using a wooden spatula, mix rice by bringing the bottom rice to the top.  This is to ensure even cooking.  Cover dish with foil and bake for another 30 minutes. Check whether rice is done.  If not, return to oven and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve hot sprinkled with fried shallots.

Bon Appetit!

Yangzhou Fried Rice

This is a simple and delicious dish using left-over cooked rice.  It is quick to prepare and will fill any hungry tummy in no time.

Ingredients (serves 4):
200 g chicken, to be cut into cubes
200 g prawns, to be shelled and deveined
3 eggs
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 cup diced carrots
2 pips garlic, to be finely chopped
a bunch spring onions, to be washed and finely sliced
a bowl of cooked rice, enough for 4 persons
cooking oil for stir-frying

Seasoning Ingredients:
light soy sauce
salt to taste
1 tbsp chicken stock granules
a pinch of chilli powder

Method:
Heat oil in a wok and fry chicken until golden in colour.  Add prawns and cook until cooked. Then, add in eggs and fry until well mixed.

Add shredded cabbage, diced carrots and chopped garlic.  Fry until half cooked.  Then, add in rice and mix well.  Add seasoning ingredients and stir-fry over low heat for about 10 minutes. Lastly, add half of sliced spring onions and mix well.

Serve hot sprinkled with sliced spring onions.  One may add sliced sausages or shredded crabmeat on top before serving.  Serve with sliced chillies in soy sauce.

Bon Appetit!

Simple Fried Pineapple Rice

A pleasant change to the usual Chinese Fried Rice.  This simple dish is quick to prepare and any kind of vegetables or sausages can be added.

Ingredients (serves 4 persons):
350 g cooked rice
200 g chicken breast, to be coarsely diced
200 g fresh prawns, to be shelled and deveined
100 g french beans, to be sliced
100 g fresh or canned pineapple, to be coarsely diced
1 red bell pepper, to be deseeded and diced
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 eggs
cooking oil
2 tbsp margarine or ghee
chopped spring onions (for garnishing)
fried shallots (for garnishing)

Seasoning Ingredients:
1 tbsp fish sauce
a dash of Worcestershire sauce
a dash of light soy sauce
salt & pepper to taste

Method:
Mix diced chicken with fish sauce and leave aside for about 20 minutes.  Heat some oil in a wok and fry diced chicken until slightly golden brown in colour.  Remove and set aside.

Heat a little oil in wok and add both eggs.  Scramble the eggs with a wooden spatula into small pieces.  Remove and set aside.

Heat margarine in wok and stir-fry chopped garlic, french beans, bell pepper, prawns and pineapple over high heat for about 3 minutes.  Reduce heat and add chicken, cooked rice, scrambled eggs, Worchester sauce and light soy sauce.  Stir well and season with salt & pepper to taste!

Garnish before serving!

Bon Appetit!

Chicken Congee (Porridge)

Congee is a type of rice porridge which is popular in Asian countries.  When it is prepared as a plain rice porridge, it is normally served with some side dishes.  It can also be served as a complete meal by adding meat i.e. chicken, beef or pork.  The consistency of the porridge is achieved by boiling rice until it disintegrate after prolonged cooking in water.

Ingredients (serves 4 persons):
350 g rice grains, to be washed
enough water
1 big onion, to be cut into wedges
2 cm fresh ginger, to be peeled, sliced and cut into sticks
a few drops of sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste

2 chicken thighs
1 cube chicken stock

Garnishing Ingredients:
2 spring onions, to be finely sliced
fried shallots

Method:
In a pot, add chicken thighs, chicken stock cube and enough water to just cover chicken.  Bring to boil over medium heat.  Cover pot and simmer for about 25 minutes or until chicken meat is tender. Once done, remove chicken and leave aside.  Once the chicken thighs are cooled down, shred them into thin pieces.

In a big pot, add rice grains and enough water to cover rice.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat.   Whenever the porridge gets dry, add the chicken stock a ladle or two at a time.  One might need to add more water in order that the mixture becomes thick.  It is advisable to add hot water and don't forget to keep stirring.  Once the rice grains become completely disintegrated and the mixture becomes thick, add the onion wedges and sliced ginger.

Then, add in shredded chicken and mix well.  Lastly, add in a drop or two sesame oil and season with salt & pepper to taste.

Serve garnished with sliced spring onions and fried shallots.  For those who like it spicy, serve sliced fresh green or red chillies in soy sauce on the side.

Bon Appetit!

Hainanese Roasted Chicken Rice

Another of our family's favourite chinese dish:  Hainanese Roasted Chicken Rice. This dish is of chinese origin and is widely available in Singapore and Malaysia.  The following recipe is a compilation of various recipes to reach the certain authenticity in taste which is comparable to those found in these countries.

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (about 1½ kg)
1 tbsp ginger juice (from grated ginger)
1 tbsp black soy sauce (thick)
2 tsp honey
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground white pepper
½ tsp five spice powder

Rice ingredients:

450 g uncooked jasmine rice (rinsed)
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp chopped shallots
1 tbsp oil
10 cloves garlic (leave skin on)
1 bunch of pandan leaves (if not available, it is okay without)
700 ml chicken stock (taken from soup ingredients)
1 tsp salt
ginger piece from the soup ingredients
1 tbsp chicken stock granules

Soup ingredients:

1 chicken leg (to make soup)
2 cm fresh ginger, crushed
1½ litres (about 6 cups) water
3 tsp chicken stock granules

Garnishing:

1 cucumber, peeled, halved and slantly sliced
3 tomatoes, washed and sliced
2 sprigs coriander leaves

Chilli sauce:

90 g red chillies
15 g garlic
50 g fresh ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
60 g limes
50 ml chicken stock (taken from soup)

Extra Sauce ingredients (optional) – all to be mixed together:

90 ml chicken stock (taken from soup)
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
3 tsp sesame oil
1½ tsp sugar
3 tsp shallot oil

Method:
Trim the fat from chicken, then rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Combine the ginger juice, soy sauce, honey, salt, pepper and five spice powder together. Then, rub this mixture all over the chicken. Set aside for 20 to 30 minutes to marinate.

Preheat conventional (no fan) oven to 200º C (400º F). Place chicken in a roasting pan with rack and roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Then, reduce the heat to 170º C (350º F) and roast for 30 to 40 minutes until the skin is brown and crisp. If the chicken turned brown before the time is up, cover the chicken with aluminium foil (with the shiny side up) to avoid it getting black and burned. Always check the chicken in the oven. The chicken is cooked if the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a fork. Remove the chicken from the oven and set aside for 15 minutes, then cut into serving portions.

While the chicken is roasting, prepare the soup. Place all ingredients into a big pot and bring to boil. Simmer until the chicken is tender.

Heat oil in a pot. Stir-fry chopped shallots and garlic till fragrant. Add the rice and stir well. Pour the mixture into a rice cooker. Add chicken stock, seasonings, whole garlic cloves, pandan leaves and piece of crushed ginger. Cook until rice is done.

Rinse the red chillies and wipe dry. Skin the ginger and garlic. Juice the lime. Blend the red chillies, ginger and garlic in a blender till fine. Add sugar, salt, lime juice and chicken stock. Stir well.  Adjust seasonings to one's taste.

Note: The extra sauce would normally be served by sprinkling on white Hainanese chicken. When serving roasted chicken, just place it in a bowl on the side.

To serve: Arrange tomato and cucumber slices on a platter. Place serving portions of chicken on top and decorate with sprigs of coriander leaves.

Bon Appetit!