Cilantro Lime Rice Bowl with Chicken

Ingredients (serves 2 pax)

For the Chicken:

​500g chicken thighs (boneless)

​1 tbsp olive oil

​1 tsp garlic powder

​1 tsp ground cumin (substitute: coroander powder)

​1/2 tsp onion powder

​1/2 tsp smoked paprika

​1/2 tsp celery salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Juice of 1/2 lime

For the rice:

1 cup rice (around 156g)

300ml chicken stock

1 clove garlic (finely minced)

zest of 1 lime

1-2 wedge of lime

15g finely chopped fresh cilantro

pinch of salt

Method:

1. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, and set aside. This is to remove the surface starches, ensuring the rice grains stay beautifully separate and fluffy after cooking later.

2. Heat up cast iron skillet till it smokes. Pan fry the chicken over medium heat until the skin is crispy. Flip the chicken and pan fry until the meat is cooked. Transfer the chicken to a serving plate and squeeze fresh lime juice over the chicken.

3. Leave 1 tablespoon of chicken fat (rendered from step 1 above) in the cast iron skillet. Over low heat, saute the minced garlic for 1 minute. Then add the rice the rice and stir until the garlic is fragrant and the rice grains look slightly transparent and toasted.

4. Transfer the rice to the pot filled with chicken stock. Stir in salt and lime zest. Cook the rice as per normal (i.e. bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer for 12 minutes until the rice is tender.) Once the rice is cooked, let stand for 5minutes. After 5 minutes, fluff the rice. Add lime zest, lime juice and chopped cilantro, and mix into the rice.

5. Assemble the rice and chicken together with sides like fresh lettuce, salsa (recipe below) and fresh avocado (cut into cubes).

Salsa recipe:

Combine 90g corn kernels, 1 medium tomato (de-seed and cut into cubes), 3g olive oil, 1g salt, 10g lime juice

kueh salat

香兰糯米糕

Steamed glutinous rice topped with pandan coconut custard. This kueh is best prepared fresh and eaten fresh 😋😋

Ingredients: 17cmx10cm rectangular dish/pan, which makes 12 pieces of kueh 5.5cm x 3cm x 3cm

Glutinous Rice Layer (Bottom)

100g glutinous rice

1/4 tsp salt

40g coconut cream

25g water 

1 blade pandan leaf (knotted), optional

3 pieces of blue pea flower (optional) + 8g hot water

Pandan Custard Layer (Upper)

130g eggs (2 whole large eggs + 1 yolk) - lightly beaten

100g coconut cream

45g pandan extract

40g sugar

12g plain flour

7.5g tapioca flour

pinch of salt

Method:

Prepare the Bottom Layer

1. Wash glutinous rice to remove excess starch and soak for at least 4 hours. 

2. Drain out the water from the soaked glutinous rice. 

3. Lightly oil the dish/pan or lay a piece of banana leaf in it (the banana leave will impart a subtle aroma that makes the kueh more fragrant) 

4. Transfer drained glutinous rice into dish/pan. Add the salt, water and coconut milk into the pan and stir to mix in. Place the pandan leave on the rice. 

5. Steam over high heat for15min and fluff the rice with a fork. Steam again for 5 to 10mins. Then, remove the pandan leave and immediately compress the rice with a spoon and set aside in the steamer to keep the rice warm.

Prepare the Upper Layer

6. Sieve the flours and mix with sugar.

7. Use a whisk to stir the coconut cream into the flour to form a smooth paste.

8. Add the eggs and pandan extract, and use the whisk to mix in.

9. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve twice into a pot.

10. Use bain-marie (double boil) method to cook/whisk the mixture over low heat until it just begins to thicken (mixture feels 'heavy' like a thick pouring cream, NOT a paste). Make sure to stir constantly so that it doesn’t get lumpy.

Final Steaming

11. Check whether the compressed glutinous rice in the steam is still warm. If not, re-heat in the steamer for 3 mins. If the surface of the rice looks a bit dry, lightly mist it with a tiny bit of hot water to enable the custard to stick to it.

12. Pour the custard over the rice and remove floating bubbles. Cover with aluminum foil so water condensation will not drip onto the kueh surface. Alternatively, wrap the lid of the steamer with a cloth.

13. Steam over medium-low heat for 35mins. Keep the steamer lid slightly ajar by placing a chopstick in between the lid and the steamer. This prevents the custard from overheating and ensures a glass-smooth surface. The kueh is ready once the custard firms up and has a slight matte sheen. 

Note:

- If the water boils too vigorously, the custard will develop holes and become bouncy or rubbery rather than creamy. 

- If center ripples like water or looks liquid, it is not done.

- If the surface is puffing up or doming, it is overdone.

- The custard will continue to firm up significantly as it cools. It it looks perfectly firm while it's still in the steamer, it will likely be too hard once cold. You want it to be just set.

10. Remove from the steamer and let it cool completely in room temperature (at least 4 hours) before removing from the pan or cutting the kueh. Use a plastic knife or dough scrapper to get a smooth and clean cut. 

11. Kueh Salat is best eaten within 1 or 2 days. Store unfinished kueh in the fridge for up to 3–4 days. Bring to room temperature or re-steam lightly before serving.