Although Hainanese Chicken Rice is most commonly associated with Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine, the origins of the dish lie in China. The dish is based on Wenchang chicken, a Hainanese dish created by early Chinese immigrants. Since its adaptation, the food has grown in popularity to become one of Malaysia's most favoured street foods.
The dish itself is very simple - chicken and rice. The rice is cooked alongside chicken stock and fat in water, intensifying its delicious flavour, whilst the chicken is cooked to perfection leaving it quite silky and tender. To top the dish off, the chicken and rice are covered in sauce - we recommend our Mak Tok Garlic Chilli Sauce - to give the dish a yummy finish.
Perhaps the most iconic street food rice plates out of the three, the Hainanese Chicken Rice is a traditional dish found all across South East Asia.
Two more types of chicken rice that you should know
Malay Chicken Rice (Nasi Ayam Melayu)
Served with tasty chicken thighs and wings, flavoursome chicken soup, and savoury sweet chilli sauce, Malay Chicken Rice is deliciously simple. The appearance of this dish is quite bland upon first impressions – white rice held together in a ball surrounded by a few ingredients – although definitely a treat for anyone with a love of Malaysian food!
Melaka Chicken Rice Ball
Tender and moist in texture, the Melaka Chicken Rice Ball is one of the most unique yet recognisable rice plates. These soft ping pong-sized rice balls are served alongside sweet chilli sauce and streamed or roasted chicken. Known for its sticky but smooth texture, indulging in this dish is an experience in itself. A must for anyone looking to try an authentic Malaysian rice dish.
Find out how to cook a simple Malaysian Chicken Rice Ball below
Soak the glutinous rice in water for at least 2 hours before cooking. After soaking, drain the water and set the glutinous rice aside.
Rinse the jasmine rice with water for 3 times. Set aside.
Marinate the chicken breast with salt, white pepper, and sesame oil. Set aside for 5 minutes or longer as desired.
Add oil to a rice cooker and turn it on. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and ginger into the rice cooker. Sauté until fragrant for around 3 minutes before adding in the jasmine white rice and glutinous rice. Further sauté the rice and the aromatics in the rice cooker for 2-3 minutes.
Pour in the chicken stock to the rice and stir well. Add the chicken breast on top of the rice and close the lid of the rice cooker. Allow it to cook until done.
While the chicken and rice is cooking, make the sauce to drizzle over the chicken. Mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, Mak Tok's Sweet Soy Sauce, light brown sugar, and water in a bowl. Set aside.
Once the rice is done, remove the chicken breast from the rice cooker along with all the aromatics. Gently fluff the rice and allow it cool down slightly before handling it.
When the rice has slightly cooled down, take a small scoop and place it on wet hands. Mould it into a ball and place the rice ball on a plate along with some cucumbers on the side.
Place the chicken on a cutting board and smash it with the side of a cleaver or a rolling pin until the chicken is slightly flat. Slice the chicken up and place it on a plate. Drizzle the sauce over the chicken before serving.
Garnish the chicken with some spring onions on the top and serve the chicken rice balls with Mak Tok's Garlic Chilli Sauce.
