Char Siu, Chicken Rice and All Things Hawker Style

Hawker style food is very popular in Asian countries because it is quick, readily available and taste good. Char siu (red roast pork) and chicken rice are the two dishes that I do make at home because it is relatively easy and not time consuming. Great for midweek dinners when you come home tired from work and all you want to do is to put your feet up, but only after a feed! :)

Char siu Recipe

700g pork shoulder/neck, cut into large strips
3 tbsp Amoy/Lee Kum Kee char siu sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1-2 drops red food colouring

Mix all the above ingredient and leave to marinate overnight. Set oven to grill mode. Preheat oven to 230 degrees and grill for 15-20 mins or when it has a slight char on the edges. Leave for 10 mins (juices will appear). Slice and place on serving dish. Pour over cooking juices.

Chicken Rice recipe

2 or 3 large chicken maryland, seasoned with salt
2 tbsp light soy
few drops sesame oil
few sprigs of coriander

Homemade Chili Sauce:
5 red chillies, deseeded
3 cloves garlic
2-3 cm knob of ginger
3-4 tbsp water
2 tbsp sugar
finely grated rind of one lemon
lemon juice from two lemons
salt to taste
(blend all the above in food processor until combined)

Place chicken in a steamer with boiling water. Steam for 30 mins or until juices run clear when poked with a fork. Leave to cool. Use juices from chicken to cook some rice (also add a few slices of ginger to your rice cooker). Chop chicken into bite size pieces. drizzle with sesame oil and soy sauce. Sprinkle with coriander.
Serve with chili sauce and steamed rice.

Btw, a good place to try some decent Malaysian hawker food is Straits Cafe in Doncaster. Good for takeaways on those lazy nights!