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Hainanese Curry Rice

Serves 6
Time 1 hr (+20 min marinade)
Style normal
Type Mains

Ingredients

The marinade (at least 20 min)

1 tbsp
light soy sauce
1 pinch
white pepper
1 tsp
curry powder

The meats

500g
pork loin chops (thin-cut airfries more evenly)
500g
chicken thighs, boneless skin-on
for dusting
cornflour
a little
vegetable oil

The curry

3 large
onions, finely chopped
10–12 cloves
garlic, minced
3 tbsp
grated ginger
6–8 tbsp
Hainanese or Madras curry powder
3 tbsp
plain flour
6 tbsp
tomato paste (1 small can)
1.5L
chicken stock (1.2L for less sauce)
1 tbsp
sugar
to taste
light soy, white pepper, salt
3 tbsp
vegetable oil
1 tbsp
cornflour, for a slurry if needed

The braise

600g
cabbage (about half a large head), shredded

To serve

~150g per person
jasmine rice, uncooked
1 per serve
egg, sunny-side up
to garnish
spring onions or coriander

Method

  1. 01

    Start the rice, then prep while the meat marinates: chop onions, mince garlic, grate ginger, shred cabbage, measure the curry powder + flour into one bowl and the tomato paste into another.

  2. 02

    Start on the meat, because if you're like me, you have to do this in batches.

  3. 03

    Pork first, dust lightly with cornflour, brush or spray with oil. Airfry 200C, 10–12 min, flip halfway. Target 63C internal. Rest on a board, don't slice yet.

  4. 04

    Then chicken, drop airfryer to 190C, 18 min, flip at 9 mins. Target 74C internal. Wipe the basket between meats

  5. 05

    While the meats are going, start the curry base

  6. 06

    Heat 3 tbsp oil in a big pot, medium heat. Onions 6–8 min until soft and golden. Garlic and ginger, 1 min. Curry powder and flour, toast 1–2 min stirring constantly. Tomato paste, 1 min.

  7. 07

    Then add in the stock gradually while either stirring or whisking (you want to ensure the paste is smooth each time before adding more stock, we are trying to prevent lumps)

  8. 08

    Once simmering, drop the cabbage into the curry to braise on low until the cabbage is as soft as you would like it.

  9. 09

    If the curry is thin, simmer longer or stir in a slurry of 1 tbsp cornflour + 2 tbsp water.

  10. 10

    When everything is done, just assemble curry, meat and cabbage together with rice

Notes

  • Adapted from [here](https://donsignaturecrab.sg/recipes/hainanese-curry-rice-singapore/)
  • I scaled the meat up to 1kg (half pork, half chicken), airfried instead of shallow-fried and took out the potato and evaporated milk
  • Pork always goes in the airfryer first, it rests while the chicken cooks, and the chicken renders more fat so the basket only needs one clean at the end.