My children like to eat chicken rice. When running out of time and craving for chicken rice, this is the fastest way and no hassle. Quick cook and yummy to eat. Less things to wash. Traditional way is boiling the chicken in hot boiling water. And cook the rice separately. See Ama's chicken-rice.
The 2 different ways of cooking the chicken rice, has their unique taste. The chicken rice cooked in this way is softer but more flavourful and tastier than traditional way. Because the meat is cooked with the rice. So the flavour of meat is in the rice. However, it is more difficult to control the texture of rice and chicken. So, if you desire to have better texture of rice and tender chicken meat, traditional way is recommended.
For time when I have to prepare 3 meals a day and needed to fetch children to and from school, it can be quite a challenge. So, I always like to find new and easy way to cook simple meal for family to save time. Of course the easiest way is to go to a chicken rice stall in hawker centre or coffeshop to buy 2-3 packets for the children. But my family always prefer homecooked food.
Personally, I love to cook for my family. I like my children to have sweet memories of homecooked food and childhood. So one day when they have grown up, wherever they are on this earth, when they think of home and childhood, these will be their sweet memories for a long long times. :)
1 chicken about 1.4-1.5kg
2 cups uncooked rice
2 cups of water (minus 2 tbsp)
Seasoning for rice
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp chicken powder(optional)
2 thumb size ginger (cut into 3 pcs, use the base of a mug to lightly hammer the ginger)
4-5 cloves of garlic removed skin
2 stalk spring onion
3-4 leaves pandan leaves
Seasoning for chicken
1 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp light soy sauce
Dash of pepper
1 tbsp sesame oil
1-2 tsp corn flour
Method:
1. Wash and rinse chicken. Deboned. Removed skin. Add the seasoning for chicken. Marinate the chicken for minimum 20mins or more. You can prepare in the morning and cook at dinner time.
2. Rinse the rice once. Add water..
Add the seasoning for rice except spring onion and pandan leaves. Put into rice cooker and set cook. Cook rice in the normal way when you put rice to cook in rice cooker.
3.When the rice & water just started to boil, lay the chicken on top of the boiling rice. And add spring onion and pandan leave. Closed the cover of rice cooker and let it continue to cook until rice and chicken is cooked. Rice cooker will automatic switch to "warm" when the water dry up. And rice is ready to serve.
4. Remove and discard garlic,ginger, pandan leaves and spring onion from the rice. Serve rice and chicken in a plate with sliced raw cucumber and sliced raw tomatoes.
Happy Cooking
Note: I am using a simple stainless steel rice cooker with only 3 functions "porridge" "warm" "cook". So, please make necessary adjustment according to your rice cooker. My rice cooker total cooking time is 20mins for rice. I know some rice cooker take an hour to cook and quick cook is minimum 30mins.
