Who don’t love this sloppy mess ~ Rice smoothered in messy Hainanese Curry and braised gravy, accompanied by Five spices Hainanese Pork Cutlet, Braised Wings & Cabbage stew aka Chap Chye! The taste from my late papa on the table.
Making this meal can finish within an hour. Just need to marinate the pork chop few hours ahead or even day before.
You can use pork loin or pork shoulder. Use a mallet or the back of a cleaver to pound the meat to have the most tenderise pork chop you ever had.
Then add in the seasoning for marinating the pork chop together with the pounced pork.
Mix and ensure the pork chop is well coated with the marinade.
Cling wrap the bowl of pork chop a day chill it the the fridge for at least 2 hrs or best overnight.
When ready to cook, remove the bowl pork chops from the fridge and add in 1 whole egg. Mix well. This is to ensure that the cracker crumbs will adhere to the pork chops
Traditionally, breading of the pork chop used cream crackers.
Crack the crackers into smaller pieces and grind into powder using a grinder.
Coat the pork chop with the grinder cracker pieces by pieces
Ensure the whole piece of pork chop is well coated with the cracker crumbs
I used air fryer to “fry” the pork chop. Just spray both sides of the breaded pork chop with oil before air frying. Do not over crowd the pan when air frying. Do feel free to fry in oil too, which I believe will taste even better!
The Braised Chicken
Beside the braised chicken, the gravy also is a must for a plate of traditional Hainanese Curry Rice.
1st, toast the cinnamon stick and star anise in a pot until fragrance.
Add in oil and ginger. Saute until the ginger browned slightly.
Add in chicken and all other seasoning for the braised chicken. Allow it to come to boil under medium high heat before lowering the fire to medium low heat to simmer for at least 30 mins or when the chicken before soft and tender.
The Cabbage Stew AKA Chap Chye
Hainanese Curry RICE is never complete without this unappealing yet super delicious and Comforting vegetable stew.
It is super easy too!
Slice the Cabbage into small Chunks.
Heat oil in a pan and crisp up some dried shrimps under medium high
When the shrimps start to crisp, add in garlic and sauté until starts to brown and fragrance.
Then add in Cabbage and other seasoning for the stew
Allow it to boil under medium high heat before lowering the heat to medium low to simmer for another 30 mins or until the Cabbage soften. The Golden Hainanese Curry Gravy
The essence of a good plate of Hainanese Curry Rice.
I used this Curry powder 1st, toast the cinnamon stick and star anise in a pot until fragrance
The add in oil and curry powder. Saute the curry powder briefly to allow it to release its aroma. Then add in water and seasoning. When boil, thicken it with Tapioca flour mixture
Serve the plate of Hainanese Curry rice with a perfectly fried Sunny side Up. YUMMY!
Love this messy yumz!
- 500g Sliced Pork Shoulder or Pork Loin (about 1 cm thick)
- 1 tablespoon Five Spices Powder
- 1 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- A dash of White Pepper Powder
- 1 egg
- 18 Pieces of cream crackers (Cracked and grinded into fine powder)
- 300g Chicken Wings (or 300g of any parts of the chicken)
- 1 Piece Star Anise
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 5g Thinly Sliced Ginger
- 1 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce (Thick Caramelised one preferred)
- a dash of pepper
- 400ml Rice Wine
- 400g Cabbage
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped Dried Shrimps
- 1 tablespoon Chopped Garlic
- 1.5 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 1 teaspoon Dark Soy Sauce
- 500ml Water
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 2 Pieces Star Anise
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 2 tablespoons Curry Powder (add additional 1 tablespoon for extra spicy kick)
- 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 500 ml Water
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1.5 tablespoon Tapioca Flour
- 3 tablespoon Water
- Use a mallet or the back of a cleaver to pound the Pork Shoulder
- Add Five Spices Powder, light soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and pepper to the pork chop
- Mix well and ensure the pork chop are thoroughly coated with the seasoning
- Cling wrap and allow it to marinate in the chiller for at least 2 hours or best overnight
- When ready to cook, remove the bowl of pork chop from the fridge and add in 1 whole egg. Mix Well.
- Transfer the grinded Cream Cracker onto a plate
- Coat the pork chops with the powdered cream cracker pieces by pieces and ensure that the pork chops are thoroughly coated with the cracker
- Air Fry or Deep Fry the pork chops base on your personal preference
- To Air Fry the Pork Chop: Preheat the air fryer at 200 degree celsius for 5 mins. Lay the pork chop into the basket or grill pan, and spray oil on both side of the pork chop. Air Fry the pork chops for 8 to 10 mins. (Do not overcrowd the basket and ensure that there is no overlaying pieces of pork chop.
- To Deep Fry the Pork Chop: Heat a pot of oil (test by dropping a crumb and when the crumb is sizzling and floating, the oil is ready for frying). Gently slide the pork chop into the heated oil and deep fry the pork chop until it's golden brown.
- In a heated pot,under medium, toast the cinnamon stick and star anise until fragrance
- When done, add in oil and ginger, and lightly saute the ginger, cinnamon and star anise for 1 min,
- Add in the rest of the seasoning for the braised chicken and bring it to boil
- When boil, lower the heat to medium low and allow it to simmer for 30 to 45 mins until the chicken is tender and soft.
- Add oil to a heated pan under medium heat.
- Add chopped dried shrimps and fry the shrimps until it turns slightly golden brown and crispy.
- Add in chopped garlic and saute for a few seconds until fragrance.
- Add in Cabbage and the rest of the seasoning and water for the cabbage stew
- Bring it to boil
- When boil, lower the heat to medium low and allow it to simmer for 30 to 45 mins under the cabbage is ultra soft
- In a heated pot,under medium, toast the cinnamon stick and star anise until fragrance
- When done, add in oil and curry powder, saute until fragrance, add in water, soy sauce, and salt. Allow it to boil
- Combine tapioca flour and 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl and mix until well combine.
- Slowly stir in the tapioca flour mixture into the boiled curry to thicken the gravy
- Serve the dishes in seperate plates or for a more traditional plate of Hainanese Curry Rice, add a portion of each of the dishes onto a plate of rice. Serve with a generous scoop of curry and braised gravy over the rice. Top with Fried Sunny Side Up if prefer.