I have been making this one-dish rice recipe since my 2 girls were little. It is a complete dish with carbohydrates, proteins and vegetables. I can play around with the ratio of each depending on who will be eating on that day.  For me, I love more vegetables so I add extra cabbage, bak choy or even spinach.

Always use a whole chicken, bones and all, as it makes the rice very tasty.  I have made this rice dish using different varieties of rice such as basmati, jasmine, brown etc. Each time, the dish tastes fabulous. A great dish for celebrating birthdays with the young ones!

INGREDIENTS

1 chicken, medium sized, cut into pieces
2 cups rice, washed and drained
2 tbsp cooking oil
4 cloves garlic, smashed whole
4 slices ginger
8 pcs dried mushroom (I use shiitake), soaked in 1 cup of water (keep this water for use)
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark caramel soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 cups of water or more
4 stalks spring onions, cut into lengths
Bak choy, cut into lengths (or any other leafy vegetable)

Marinade for chicken:

1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp pepper powder
1 tsp chopped ginger
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce

Garnish:

1 piece salted fish (threadfin/ikan kurau), cut into small pieces and oven fried
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp fried onions
4 spring onions (optional)

Chilli Chinchalok Sauce (mix according to taste):

¼ cup sambal belachan
½ cup tbsp chinchalok sauce
2 or 3 limes juice for lime juice (use to adjust the taste accordingly)

PREPARATION

Marinate chicken with dark & light soy sauce, ground pepper, sesame oil and chopped ginger. Keep aside.

Soak the dried mushrooms in some water for approximately 10 minutes. Drain the mushrooms and slice them. Keep the soaked liquid for use later.

Mix the dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, caramel sauce and oyster sauce together. Keep aside.

METHOD

In a pan, add oil, and once heated, add the marinated chicken, ginger, and garlic. Sauté for 5 mins.

Next, add the sliced mushrooms and the mixed sauce – stir well.

Add the drained rice and stir for 2 mins. Add the liquid that the mushrooms were soaked in.

Transfer to a rice cooker, add 2 cups of water.

Once the rice is almost cooked, drizzle 1 tsp of caramel sauce and place the vegetables on top. The vegetables will steam in the few minutes it takes for the rice to be fully cooked through.

Once fully cooked, garnish with sesame oil, fried salted fish, fried onions, spring onions and more caramel sauce if necessary.

Serve with the chilli – chinchalok sauce.

Notes:

1. You can use chicken parts if you do not wish to use a whole chicken.
2. Substitute other types of green vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, sprouts etc.
3. Water may be reduced or increased depending on the rice used and the cooking time for your rice variety.

• Chinchalok sauce (made from a variety of tiny prawns) and belachan (prawn paste and chilli ground together) is available from Asian grocery shops.