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Hainanese Chicken Rice in Rice Cooker
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Hainanese Chicken Rice in Rice Cooker

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Marinate time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 2

Equipment

  • Rice Cooker

Ingredients

  • 700 grams 1/2 chicken with skin (cut into pieces) (+/- 700 克) 1/2 只带皮鸡肉 (切块)
  • 1 teaspoon salt 1茶匙盐
  • 2 cups rice 2杯米饭
  • 1.75 cups water 1.75 杯水
  • 2 stalk spring onion 2 棵 葱
  • 2 slices ginger 2片姜
  • 2 pandan leaves 2片香兰叶 (可选的) optional

Seasoning 调味:

  • light soy sauce 生抽
  • garlic oil 大蒜油
  • shallot oil 葱油

Instructions

  • Wash the chicken thoroughly. Remove blood clots. Marinate the chicken with salt for 1/2 hour.
  • Wash the rice a few times until the water runs clear. Then soak the rice for 15 minutes.
  • Place the rice, water, spring onion, ginger, pandan leaf chicken in the rice cooker.
  • Select the cook rice function.
  • When it's done, fluff up the rice. Season with some shallot oil, garlic oil and light soy sauce.

Notes

  • Soak the Rice for Even Cooking
    To ensure the rice cooks evenly and has a fluffy texture, soak it for at least 15 to 30 minutes before cooking. This helps the grains absorb water and cook uniformly.
  • Adjust Water Ratio for Best Texture
    Since the chicken releases moisture while cooking, reduce the water slightly from the standard 1:1 ratio. This prevents the rice from becoming too soft and keeps the grains separate. (For basmati rice, use 2 cups of water per 2 cups of rice.)
  • Use Chicken Fat for Extra Fragrance
    Keep the chicken skin and fat layers when cooking, as they render into the rice, making it more aromatic and flavorful. If you prefer a leaner dish, you can remove some fat before cooking.
  • Choose the Right Chicken for Better Texture
    Kampung chicken (village chicken) is ideal because it has firmer, leaner meat. If unavailable, go for corn-fed or free-range chicken, which has a more yellow skin and slightly firmer texture compared to regular broiler chicken.
  • Use Aromatics for Authentic Flavor
    Adding ginger slices, pandan leaf, and spring onion to the rice enhances its fragrance. If pandan leaves are unavailable, you can skip them, but they add aroma to the dish.