The Malabar Kitchen: Chicken Sausage Rice

This recipe is one of my cooking experiments, inspired by the ‘Chinese chicken rice’ which I used to have during my stay in Brunei. It was a very popular choice for lunch for majority of Bruneians as well as Malaysians. I was in a mood for Chicken rice today, but was too lazy to go buy chicken, and since sausage was readily available in the freezer, decided to experiment with it. I must say, it came quite close to the real chicken rice, or maybe we were too hungry, either way we enjoyed it. Very soon I’ll be trying out the original chicken rice. For now here’s the Chicken Sausage rice...

For the sausage:

Chicken sausage – 4, whole

Ginger – 1 tbsp, chopped
Garlic – 1 tbsp, chopped

Shallots – 1 tbsp, sliced
Pepper powder – ½ tsp
Garam masala powder – ¼ tsp

Honey - 1 tsp
Red wine – 2 tbsp
Oyster sauce - 1 tsp

Soy sauce – 1 ½ tbsp

Fish sauce – ½ tsp

Red chilly oil – ½ tsp

Chilly vinegar – 1 tsp
Sugar – ½ tsp

Marinate the sausages with all the ingredients for 10 – 15 minutes.
Pan the marinated sausages fry in a little oil till its nicely browned, turn over and fry the other side too.

Add ½ cup water, cover and cook on very low flame for 10 minutes till the sauce starts to thicken.
Remove cover, do a taste-test for the sauce, add salt and sugar to taste if necessary.
Set this aside, and cut the sausages into desired pieces, pour half the sauce over it.
Keep the remaining half of the sauce on the pan for later use.

For the rice:

Cooked white rice – 2 cups
Ginger – 1 tbsp chopped
Garlic – 1 tbsp

Shallots – 1 tbsp
Chicken cube – 1, powdered (I used Maggi chicken cube)
Sesame oil – 1 tbsp

Kaffir lime leaves – 3 (I used dried leaves as I couldn’t get any fresh ones)

Red wine – 1 tbsp

Soy sauce – 1 tsp

Vinegar – ½ tsp

Water – ¼ cup

Remaining sauce from the sausages
Salt to taste

· Sauté the ingredients (except rice and water) in some oil.

· Add the rice, stir fry for 5 minutes.

· Add water and mix well, and cover the pan for 2 minutes on low heat.