The Ultimate Guide to Cooking Delicious Ginger Chicken Rice: A Family Favorite

Preparation
60 minutes Ready in
15 minutes Serves
3-4 people

Chicken with cinnamon leaves rice is a famous dish from Phu Yen, Vietnam. Let’s discover how to make this delicious and aromatic dish for your family.

1Ingredients for Chicken with Cinnamon Leaves Rice

• Cinnamon leaves (also known as white cinnamon)
• Chicken
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• Spices: , , , , ,

Tip
– When choosing cinnamon leaves, opt for fresh, green leaves that are not bruised or water-damaged. Select leaves from the plant with many young leaves as they contain more essential oils, making your dish more fragrant.
– Avoid choosing leaves that have been soaked in water as they may be spoiled, and refrain from picking very young leaves as they may not have a strong aroma.

Ingredients for Chicken with Cinnamon Leaves Rice

2Cooking Instructions for Chicken with Cinnamon Leaves Rice

Step 1 Prepare the Ingredients

Peel and wash the shallots and ginger.

Rinse the cinnamon leaves (you can use salted water for a better clean). Wash the chicken and let it air dry.

Preparing the ingredients

Step 2 Boil the Chicken

In a pot, add water, ginger, and shallots, and bring to a simmer. When the water is warm, add the chicken and turmeric powder and boil for about 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Then, remove the chicken from the pot.

Boiling the chicken

Step 3 Cook the Cinnamon Leaves Rice

Pound the cinnamon leaves in a mortar and pestle until they become a paste. In a rice cooker, add the washed rice, the cinnamon leaves paste, and the chicken broth from step 2. Cook the rice until it is done.

Cooking the cinnamon leaves rice

Step 4 Make the Cinnamon Leaves Sauce

In a mortar and pestle, combine 1 handful of cinnamon leaves, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 2 tablespoons of sugar and pound into a paste.

Then, in a saucepan, add the cinnamon leaves paste, 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, and 1/2 cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Making the cinnamon leaves sauce

Step 5 Fry the Rice and Chicken

Once the rice is cooked, scoop out about 1/4 of it and place it in the freezer for 20 minutes to dry it out.

Next, mix the dried rice with cornstarch and deep-fry it until golden and crispy. Use a strainer to remove the rice from the oil.

Frying the rice to make it crispy

For the chicken, rub it with salt on all sides, then cut it into portions. Reuse the oil from frying the rice, and pour the hot oil over the chicken skin on high heat until the skin becomes crispy and puffed.

Frying the chicken to make the skin crispy

Step 6 Plating

Mix the crispy rice with the cinnamon leaves rice and serve it on a plate, along with the sauce and crispy chicken.

The cinnamon leaves rice is fluffy and fragrant, and the crispy rice adds a delightful texture. The dish is visually appealing, with the green rice contrasting the golden-brown chicken. It’s a delicious and attractive meal that your family will surely enjoy.

Chicken with cinnamon leaves rice

3Enjoy Your Meal

Chicken with cinnamon leaves rice is a delightful combination of flavors and colors. The rice is aromatic, and the chicken is crispy and tasty. If you’re looking for something new to cook for your family, this dish is an excellent choice.

Enjoying the meal

This is the recipe for Chicken with Cinnamon Leaves Rice, a specialty of Phu Yen. Save it and treat your family to this delicious dish. Good luck with your cooking!