The Science of Chicken Rice : Singapore Style

Chicken Rice is one of those universal dish. You can pretty much find a variety of chicken rice dishes from every culture in the world. Where I'm from, Singapore, chicken rice has raisen to the ranks of what best epitomized Singapore cusine despite our multi-cultural society.

Almost everyone I know back home loves a good chicken rice meal, but finding a good place for that is the toughest thing to do. Everyone has their favorites so it's not that easy to agree on one. There're many minute details that people look for in their chicken rice. It could be texture of the rice, the flavor of the rice, or the chicken, the type of chicken used....etc...the list goes on. For me, it's simple... I like my rice flavorful, not too oily and my chicken tender and smooth, not overcooked.



After years of making this dish at home, I finally come up with a method that actually ensure a tender and smooth chicken each time. The only problem to that is that is rather time-consuming. Nevertheless I still make this dish...knowing at the end of cooking I get to sit down and savor a seriously good meal!! That's what motivates me to make it! Oh that and the fact that I'm greedy!



These days you can take a short cut on making the flavored rice with a bottle of ready-made chicken rice sauce. It gives the same authentic Singapore Style chicken rice but you can take the long way if you want to..just for the sake. I usually focus on making the chicken the right way...coz it's nothing worse that eating tough to chew chicken coz of overcooking!

Due to health concerns and the fact I lost the vote, I made this dish with just chicken breast meat but it's best with a whole chicken. Remainding chicken could be used in other dishes; eg, chicken pasta salad. Somehow using just part of the chicken just doesn't make good chicken rice nor tender juicy chicken! *personal opinion* :)

Eggplant Stir Fry

I love my eggplants but I just feel I don't know enough eggplant recipes to really explore all its potential but nevermind, I do what I can for now...:) This dish goes real well with white rice (staple food in this household) and most of all, satisfied most of the food groups required for a healthy balance. Even for Ed who claims he doesn't like eggplants (although I had caught him eating AND even ordering it when we eat out!!!) likes it! Most of all, it's rather easy to make, so that takes a bit of thinking work out of the equation!

Recipe
Ingredients
-4 Japanese Eggplant
-Shrimps, Shelled
-Green Onions, diced
-Garlic, minced
-Oil
-Mushroom flavored Sauce
-Sesame Oil
-Salt, Sugar and Pepper

Method
-Rinsed and dry eggplants, slice diagonally.
-At this point, you can either do a quick dip in hot oil or place them lightly salted, peppered and olive oiled in the oven for about 10 mins. Either way's fine.
-Heat very little oil (approx 1/2 tsp) in a wok, add garlic and shrimps.
-Fry till shrimps are almost done, add eggplants.
-Quickly seasoned it with mushroom sauce, sesame oil, salt, sugar and pepper and toss a couple more times before adding in the green onions and then dishing out to plate for serving.

Chicken Curry with Tomatoes and Coriander

This is a very fragrant dish! A great substitute for the regular chicken curry made with coconut milk instead. I'd seen this recipe at the The Star Online and was curious at how the taste would be. I love tomatoes, and although not too keen with one of the ingredients called, nevertheless I decided to give it a shot, thinking(or deluding) that it should be a healthier alternative. Presently I can only say this, this recipe is a defnite keeper!

I'd made this dish so often that my husband is starting to get a little bored with it! :) Too bad for him. My version is a little "soupier" than the original recipe, errrmm, coz I actually treats it like a soup/stew! It's really that good, plus it helps with any nasal congestion...:) You can find the recipe here .

Bibimpab : My version

It was one of days that you really ran out of ideas of what to cook and really don't want to eat out. I was totally tired of standing in the kitchen for too long, it was just too hot!!! I had some marinated chicken tighs (skinless boneless variety) in bulgoggi sauce that I had intended for some wraps but thought this is as good as anyday to cook that (erm...when laziness sets in!). So what else goes with Chicken Bulgoggi?? Can't think, brain too fried!

Ok, frankly I'd been craving for some good korean food. I always order Bibimpab when we go to a korean restaurant. I love it coz of the variety (yes, I'm also a very boring person...) and I believe that it's something that I wouldn't do it on my own, too much work. When I read the recipe for this dish, I was amzingly surprised at how easy to make...all you really need are the mise en place. Since I was making Chicken Bulgoggi, why not make Bibimpab, it will at least take the usual boredom of everyday dinners off the menu...:)

I read somewhere that this dish is supposed to be tri-colored but I just used whatever vege I had in my fridge which wasn't much since it was close to grocery day...hehe... yah....I'm not that picky as long as food's served and it tastes great! Ideally, carrots would have made my dish tri-colored...hehe..but really...I don't think neither Ed nor Ethan would really notice that!!! And I also used a plate to present this dish rather than the usual huge bowl that this dish is served in (didn't have one either).

All in all I think this turned out better than I expected, especially for a first attempt. Good for Friday night dinners...one dish meal...less cleanup, more time to relax...;)

For the individual vegetable sides
Ingredients
-Large Bean Sprouts
-Spinach, one bunch
-Cucumbers, 2 pickle cucumbers
-White Sesame Seeds, toasted
-Sesame seed oil
-Garlic
-Salt (I always use sea salt)

Method
-Bring a pot of water to boil, blanched the sprouts and quickly submerged into a ice bath (to arrest cooking), do the same for the spinach and with the spinach, squeeze out excess water with a dry towel and then chopped to bite-size lengths.
-For the cucumbers, cored the center and julienned them to thin slices, then get the excess water out from the cucumbers by marinating them in a little salt and sugar mixture. After a while, there would be water accumulated which to be thrown away. Wash, rinsed and squeezed excess liquid from the cucmbers as well
-Minced some garlic and toast the sesame seeds to release their aroma and oils.
-Now heat a pan with some vege oil and a little of sesame oil, toss in some minced garlic and stirred a little, add the sprouts and seasoned to taste. Dish it out and sprinkled with some toasted sesame seeds.
-Do the same and this time instead of adding the spinach, poured the heated oil onto the spinach, seasoned and mixed well. Again sprinkled sesame seeds on top to serve.
-Do the same, heat the oils and add the garlic and then add the drained cucumbers into it and give it a little stir till heated through. Seasoned, dish out and serve with sprinkling of sesame seeds.
-All the vege sides are ready to be place into individual bowls on the side of the rice.

To serve
-A large plate or bowl, place rice in the middle and place the sides plus chicken surrounding the rice. If adding an egg, heat a non-stick pan and pan fry on egg, sunny side up and quickly place it on top of the steaming white rice and sprinkle some sesame seeds. Serve it with Korean Hot Bean Paste (can always get them in a bottle from almost any asian grocery stores).

Result: Heathly, refreshing and easy cleanup! Can't be any easier!