Hainanese Chicken Rice
Hainanese Chicken Rice is a classic dish that consists of incredibly tender poached chicken,
fragrant rice cooked in chicken broth, and an array of flavorful sauces.
The key to a great Hainanese Chicken Rice is using a whole chicken to create a rich, flavorful broth,
which is then used to cook the rice and make the sauces.
Ingredients
- Chicken
- Poaching Liquid
- Ice Bath
- Broth
- Aromatics
- Rice
- Chili Sauce
- Ginger-Scallion Oil
Recipes
For Chicken
- 1 whole chicken (about 3–4 lbs / 1.5–2 kg)
- 1 tbsp salt (for exfoliating the skin)
- 5–6 slices of ginger
- 5 stalks of spring onion (green onion)
- Water (enough to submerge the chicken)
- Ice bath (a large bowl of ice water)
For Rice
- 2 cups jasmine rice (rinsed and drained)
- 2–3 tbsp chicken fat or neutral oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2–3 slices ginger
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2.5 cups chicken poaching broth
For Chili Sauce
- 5 fresh red chilies (adjust to taste)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1-inch piece ginger
- 1 tbsp lime juice (or calamansi juice)
- 2 tbsp chicken broth
- 1 tsp sugar
- Salt to taste
Chili Crab
Chili Crab is one of Singapore's most iconic dishes — sweet, spicy, tangy, messy, and totally satisfying.
It features crab cooked in a rich tomato-chili sauce with egg swirled in at the end.
Ingredients
- Crab
- Chili Sauce
- Liquid
- Cornstarch Slurry
- Eggs
Recipes
For Crab
- 1.2–1.5 kg (2.5–3.3 lbs) mud crab (or Dungeness/blue swimmer crab), cleaned and chopped
- 2 tbsp oil (vegetable or peanut)
For Chili Crab Sauce
- 2 tbsp oil
- 5 cloves garlic
- 5–6 red chilies (fresh or dried, adjust to heat preference)
- 3 slices ginger
- 2 shallots (optional, for extra aroma)
- 3 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 2 tbsp chili sauce (e.g., Sriracha or sambal oelek)
- 1 tbsp fermented bean paste (taucheo or substitute with soy sauce)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp rice vinegar or lime juice
- 1 cup chicken stock or water
- 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water (for slurry)
- 1 beaten egg
- Salt to taste
Laksa
Laksa is a rich, spicy noodle soup that's a staple in Malaysia and Singapore.
There are several types (e.g. Curry Laksa, Assam Laksa, Sarawak Laksa),
but the most iconic and widely loved version is Curry Laksa — a coconut milk-based noodle soup with noodles,
seafood, and aromatic spices.
Ingredients
- Laksa Paste(Rempah)
- Soup Base
- Noodles
- Protein and Toppings
Recipes
Soup Base
- 2 tbsp oil
- 3–4 tbsp laksa paste (homemade or store-bought)
- 400 ml (1 can) coconut milk
- 1 L (4 cups) chicken or seafood stock
- 1–2 tsp sugar
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp fish sauce (optional)
Toppings / Protein
- 200 g (7 oz) shrimp or prawns (peeled and deveined)
- 200 g fish cakes (sliced)
- 2 boiled eggs (halved)
- Tofu puffs (tau pok), halved
- Bean sprouts
- Optional: shredded chicken, cockles, squid
Noodles
- 300 g rice vermicelli (bee hoon) or laksa noodles
- Blanched until soft and drained
Char Kway Teow
Char Kway Teow is a popular stir-fried noodle dish from Southeast Asia, especially in Malaysia and Singapore.
It’s made with flat rice noodles (kway teow), stir-fried in a wok with prawns, Chinese sausage, eggs, bean
sprouts,
and often a rich, smoky flavor thanks to high-heat stir-frying.
Ingredients
- Fresh Flat Rice Noodles (Kway Teow)
- Shrimp
- Chinese Sausage(Lap Cheong)
- Cockles(Hum)
- Fish Cakes
- Garlic
- Chili Paste
- Eggs
- Bean Sprouts
- Garlic Chives(Koo Chye)
Recipes
For Stir-Fry
- 300 g (10 oz) fresh flat rice noodles (kway teow) – you can use dried ones, but fresh is best
- 200 g (7 oz) prawns, peeled and deveined
- 2 Chinese sausages (lap Cheong), sliced thinly
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup bean sprouts, rinsed
- 1/4 cup chives or spring onions (cut into 2-inch pieces)
- 1 tbsp fried shallots (optional for garnish)
- 2 tbsp begetable oil (or peanut oil)
For Sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbso dark soy sauce
- 1 tso oyster sauce
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp chili paste (optional, for heat)
Garnishes
- Lime wedges (to squeeze on top)
- Fresh coriander (optional)
Bak Kut Teh
Bak Kut Teh (肉骨茶) is a flavorful Chinese herbal pork rib soup, popular in Malaysia and Singapore.
The name means “meat bone tea”, though there's no actual tea in the soup—it's traditionally served with
Chinese tea
to cut through the richness of the pork.
Ingredients
- Pork
- Herbs & Spicess
- Aromatics
- Sauce
- Tofu puffs(tau pok)
- Mushrooms
- Blanched leafy greens
- fried dough sticks
Recipes
- 1 kg (about 2.2 lbs) pork ribs and/or pork belly, cut into smaller pieces
- 2 whole garlic bulbs, unpeeled
- 2-3 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
- A pinch of sugar (optional, to balance the flavor)
- Dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked and stems removed)
- Tofu puffs
- Enki mushrooms
- Chinese lettuce or choy sum
- Fried dough sticks (youtiao)
- Chopped chili padi and more dark soy sauce for a dipping sauce
Kaya Toast
Kaya Toast is a classic breakfast or afternoon snack in Singapore and Malaysia.
It's a simple yet incredibly satisfying dish consisting of toast spread with a sweet coconut and egg jam
(kaya),
and thick slices of cold butter. It's often served with soft-boiled eggs and a cup of strong coffee or tea.
Ingredients
- Sugar
- Full-fat coconut cream
- Pandan Leaves
- Salt
- Sandwich bread
- Butter
- Kaya jam
Recipes
- Eggs – 3 large
- Sugar – 150g (¾ cup)
- Coconut milk – 200ml (¾ cup) (preferably fresh or from a good-quality can)
- Pandan leaves – 2–3 leaves, tied into a knot (optional, for fragrance)
- White bread or Hainanese toast bread – 4 slices
- Cold butter – sliced thinly
- 1 tsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
Roti Prata
Roti Prata (also called Roti Canai in Malaysia) is a flaky, crispy, and chewy Indian-inspired flatbread
popular in Singapore.
It’s usually served with curry (fish, chicken, or dhal), or even enjoyed with sugar or condensed milk for a
sweet twist.
Ingredients
- Flour
- Warm water
- Salt
- Sugar
- Butter or Oil
- Egg
Recipes
- All-purpose flour – 2 cups (250g)
- Salt – ½ tsp
- Sugar – 1 tsp
- Water – ¾ cup (180ml) (adjust as needed)
- Ghee or melted butter – 2 tbsp (plus more for cooking)
- Cooking oil – for soaking and frying
Fish Head Curry
Fish head curry is immensely popular in Malaysia and Singapore.
With South Indian origins, it uses a combination of various spices and ingredients
to create its well accepted delectable taste.
Ingredients
- Fish Head
- Tamarind paste
- Oil
- Water or fish stock
- Coconut Milk
- Eggplants
- Okra
- Tamatoes
- Chili
- Garlic
- Shallot
- Ginger
- Salt and Sugar
- Lemongrass
- Turmeric Powder
- Coriander Powder
- Chili Powder
- Fenugreek seeds
Recipes
Main
- 1 medium fish head (snapper is common), cleaned and halved
- 2 tablespoons tamarind paste (mixed with 1 cup water, strained)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 cup coconut milk (optional, for creaminess)
- 2–3 cups water or fish stock
- Salt and sugar to taste
- 1–2 eggplants, cut into chunks
- 1 cup okra, whole or halved
- 2 tomatoes, quartered
- Optional: long beans or cabbage
Spices
- 6–8 dried red chilies (soaked in hot water)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 shallots
- 1-inch piece ginger
- 1 stalk lemongrass (white part only)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon chili powder (adjust to taste)
- Optional: 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds or ½ tsp mustard seeds
Nasi Lemak
Nasi Lemak is one of Malaysia’s most beloved national dishes, also popular in Singapore and parts of
Indonesia.
It’s a fragrant rice dish cooked in coconut milk and served with various sides.
Ingredients
- Jasmine rice
- Coconut milk
- Water
- Pandan Leaves
- Salt
- Chili
- Shallot
- Garlic
- Tamarind Paste
- Sugar
- Oil
- Eggs
- Fried Peanuts
- Fried Anchovies
- Cucumber
Recipes
- 2 cups jasmine rice (or long grain rice)
- 1½ cups coconut milk
- 1½ cups water
- 1–2 pandan leaves, knotted (optional but traditional)
- 1 tsp salt
- 10 dried red chilies (soaked in hot water and deseeded)
- 4 shallots
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp belacan (fermented shrimp paste, optional)
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste (mixed with ¼ cup water)
- 1 tbsp sugar (palm sugar preferred)
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, halved
- ½ cup fried peanuts
- ½ cup fried anchovies (ikan bilis)
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- Optional: fried chicken, rendang, sambal squid, or sambal prawns
Dim Sums
Dim sum is most popular in Singapore and it is a traditional Chinese meal comprised of small plates
of dumplings and other snack dishes, traditionally enjoyed with tea.
Ingredients
- Pork
- Shrimp
- Mushrooms
- Soy sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Sesame oil
- Sugar
- Salt
- Cornstarch
- Ginger
- Onion
Recipes
- 250g (½ lb) ground pork (with some fat)
- 100g (3.5 oz) raw shrimp, peeled, chopped
- 2 shiitake mushrooms, soaked and minced (optional)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- ½ tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 stalk spring onion, finely chopped
