Aromatic Chicken Rice

The famous Hainanese chicken rice has become one of Malaysian's favourite rice dish.

For rice and chicken:
2 cups long-grain rice, rinsed
chicken pieces (you can use your favourite parts)
1 cm ginger, shredded finely
1 cm garlic, minced
3 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 screwpine leaves
salt to taste

Cook chicken in water with screwpine leaves and salt for 20 to 30 minutes (do not overcook). Remove chicken, reserving stock for rice.
In a saucepan, fry garlic and ginger in hot oil until golden and fragrant. Add rice, cloves and cinnamon stick and fry for 2 minutes. Add screwpine leaves, pour in enough chicken stock to cook rice.

For chilli sauce:
5 fresh red chillies
1 cm ginger
1 lime
1 clove garlic
1 tsp vinegar
sugar
soya sauce or salt

Put ginger, red chillies and garlic in a food processor and grind. Add vinegar, soya sauce/salt and sugar according to taste. Squeeze a little lime before serving. You should have a hot, sweet and sour sauce.

Serve the rice with the chicken pieces garnished with sliced cucumber and chillie sauce. Serves 2.