Melaka Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls

Ingredients

• 1 whole corn-fed or free-range chicken (About 1 whole chicken; size determines poaching time)
• 3 spring onions (Whites only)
• 10 g ginger (For poaching)
• 1 tbsp sea salt (For poaching)
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns (For poaching)
• 3 red chillies (For chilli sauce)
• 8 cloves garlic (For chilli sauce)
• 1 lime lime juice (Juice of 1 lime)
• 0.5 tbsp sugar (For chilli sauce)
• 0.5 tsp salt (For chilli sauce)
• 0.25 tsp MSG (For chilli sauce)
• 50 g ginger (For ginger–spring onion sauce)
• 3 spring onions (Greens only; finely sliced)
• 4 tbsp sesame oil (Heat until lightly smoking)
• 1 tsp salt (For ginger–spring onion sauce)
• 0.25 tsp MSG (For ginger–spring onion sauce)
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce (For ginger–spring onion sauce)
• 15 g salted butter (For pandan rice)
• 2 cloves garlic (For pandan rice)
• 10 g ginger (For pandan rice; sliced)
• 50 g glutinous rice (Wash with the jasmine rice)
• 250 g jasmine rice (Wash with the glutinous rice)
• 1 pandan leaf (For pandan rice)
• 1 small cucumber (Sliced, for serving)
• chicken broth (Use broth from poaching; 1–2 tbsp for the chilli sauce and enough to reach the first knuckle above the rice)
• ice water (For shocking the chicken after the first poach)

Steps

1. 1

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the spring onion whites, 10 g ginger, sea salt, and black peppercorns.

2. 2

   Add the whole chicken breast-side down and cook for 30–40 minutes, depending on its size, until tender.

3. 3

   Immediately transfer the chicken to an ice-water bath to shock it and help keep the skin silky.

4. 4

   For the chilli sauce, pound the red chillies and garlic in a pestle and mortar until smooth.

5. 5

   Mix in the lime juice, sugar, salt, and MSG. Stir well, then add 1–2 tablespoons of the chicken broth.

6. 6

   Return the chicken to the pot and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. This produces tender chicken with silky skin.

7. 7

   For the ginger–spring onion sauce, pound the ginger, then add the finely sliced spring onion greens.

8. 8

   Heat the sesame oil in a small pot until lightly smoking. Pour it over the ginger and spring onions, then add the salt, MSG, and light soy sauce.

9. 9

   For the pandan rice, wash the glutinous rice and jasmine rice until the water runs clear.

10. 10

    Melt the salted butter in a pot. Add the garlic and sliced ginger and sauté until fragrant.

11. 11

    Add both washed rices. Pour in chicken broth until it reaches the first knuckle of your finger above the rice.

12. 12

    Add the pandan leaf, bring the rice and broth to a boil, then cover and cook over low heat until the rice is fluffy.

13. 13

    Leave the chicken to cool, then chop it into bite-sized pieces.

14. 14

    Use an ice-cream scoop to portion the cooked rice and shape each portion with your hands into a ball.

15. 15

    Serve the sliced chicken with the pandan rice balls, cucumber slices, chilli sauce, ginger–spring onion sauce, and a bowl of the chicken broth.

Notes

The source does not specify the quantity of broth required for cooking the rice; add enough to reach the first knuckle above the rice. The original description ends mid-sentence, while the transcript supplies the rice-ball shaping and serving details.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• Malaysian
• Melaka specialty
• Southeast Asian
• poached
• rice dish
• gluten-free
• family-style