Chicken and rice with all the flavor from Southern Asia
South Asia may be one of the most intriguing and mysterious regions of our planet: a place difficult to define, with more than 1.75 billion inhabitants, an area larger than the entire European Union, millennia of history and a countless number of languages, dialects, and even religions. It sounds insane to believe that some unifying factor exists within this conglomerate of diverse countries.
Gastronomy always blends cultures
However, there is one thing that could help us conceptualize and define it, and that is its delicious cuisine. Even though each region adds its own personal and distinct touch to each dish, some ingredients such as rice will be found everywhere.
Rice is this region’s staple food for excellence. Its versatility is what people admire the most and it may be the reason why it is also consumed all over the world. From rice flour that can be used to make exquisite dosas (a kind of savory pancake), to long-grain or Basmati rice to prepare the tastiest curry dishes, rice trespasses frontiers…
But each country will always add its own signature to it. The Indonesian diet, for example, consists of steamed rice as the basis, and the dishes made with it are as diverse as they get. From Pandang, which uses a lot of chili and spices to overcome cold temperatures typical of their regions, to Javanese rice, which is a sweet dish that resulted from the abundance of sugar produced during the colonial era, every ethnicity in the country has its own recipe specific to their culture.
Rice is even typically consumed for breakfast! Bubur Ayam, for instance, is a thick rice porridge with shredded chicken, a staple breakfast that promotes good health and strong digestion. The chicken is boiled with its bones from cold water, and that same broth is used to cook the rice until it becomes dense and chewy.
Bringing Indonesian meals to US
After going over these interesting facts and curious details on South Asia and its cuisine, and after getting to know the staple dishes from Indonesia, we are certain that you’ll want to cook a meal of this kind for your family.
You may already be thinking that it won’t be possible to cook as they do in Indonesia just because you are located in the US, but we are more than happy to tell you all you need to know in order to do it!
You don’t necessarily have to make Pandang or Bubur Ayam to feel closer to South Asian cuisine, a wonderful southern chicken and rice with spices to add the spirit of Indonesia will do just fine!
Turn your chicken and rice casserole up a notch and make it even more South Asian!
There is nothing that expresses more love and affection than a delicious casserole to satisfy the need for comfort food on a Wednesday night. Want to add some extra South Asian touch to it? Follow this recipe and we promise you will not be disappointed!
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts (1¼ pounds for four servings).
- Leftover rice.
- Soy Sauce (1 tbsp).
- Honey (1 tbsp).
- Lemon juice (1 lemon).
- Finely chopped garlic.
- Coriander (1 tbsp).
- Cayenne pepper (1 tbsp).
- Turmeric (½ tbsp).
- Cumin (1 tbsp).
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Extra-virgin olive oil (avocado oil works perfectly too, give it a try!).
Step-by-step preparation
- Use a mixing bowl to place the chicken breasts. Add all your spices and the finely chopped garlic together with the honey, lemon juice and soy sauce. The idea is to coat the chicken breasts.
- Put a lid to your mixing bowl and let it rest in the fridge for, at least, 30 minutes to marinate (remember that the more you leave the chicken marinating, the more flavor it will have!).
- Heat a little bit of oil of your choice in a skillet (the skillet should have enough space to hold each piece of the chicken breasts). When the oil has reached temperature, add the chicken breasts and cook them on one side until brownish.
- Reduce the heat and turn the pieces. Cook until it’s done. Total cooking time should be about 10 minutes.
- Take your leftover rice, place an ice cube on top, and pop it in the microwave. Rather than melting, the ice cube will help the rice to steam and be ready to eat without becoming a sticky paste!.
- After the pieces are cooked and the rice is ready, place your chicken breasts on top of the rice.
- Enjoy!