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Claypot Rice with Chicken and Chestnuts

by · 14 comments
We love having claypot rice in winter days. The rice is so flavoursome and soft, absorbed all the flavours of the chicken sauce.


Whenever I spot any good quality chestnuts on sale, I’d definitely grab a large bag home. I’m so glad that the weather is getting cold these few days. It’s time to draw out my claypot to make some delicious chicken chestnut rice.

Claypot Rice with Chicken and Chestnuts03

The rice absorbs all the flavours of the chicken and mushroom. Both of the fragrance and taste of this claypot rice are so good that’s beyond your imagination.

Claypot Rice with Chicken and Chestnuts02

If you like eating some crunchy rice, you’ll get a bit at the claypot bottom to enjoy. Well, there’s only one shortcoming if you cook rice in claypot.

You can’t leave it unattended or walk away for watching your favourite television show or answering any phone calls. Otherwise, not only will you enjoy that crunchy bit at the claypot bottom, but also you’ll have a whole pot of burnt rice. Be careful.

Claypot Rice with Chicken and Chestnuts Recipe

(Printable recipe)

Prep time:
Cook time:
Yield: 2 to 3 serves

Claypot Rice with Chicken and Chestnuts

Ingredients:
  • 1 Tbsp wood ears, soaked
  • 12 chestnuts, shelled and peeled
  • 4 shiitake mushrooms, soaked and julienned
  • 160 gm deboned chicken thigh
  • 1 cup, about 155 gm rice
  • 2 cups water (may use mushroom soaking water)
  • spring onion, for garnish
Marinade for mushrooms:
  • 1 tsp light soy sauce
  • ¼ tsp cornflour / corn starch
  • ¼ tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp oil
Marinade for chicken::
  • 1 tsp light soy sauce
  • ¼ tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tsp oyster sauce
  • ¼ tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
  • ½ tsp cornflour / corn starch
  • ¼ tsp freshly grated ginger juice
  • ½ tsp sesame oil

Claypot Rice with Chicken and Chestnuts Procedures

Method:
  1. Blanch the soaked wood ear in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Drain well. (Remark: if you use large wood ears, you can chop them smaller.) Mix the mushrooms with marinade. Set aside.
  2. Cut the chicken into thick strips. Mix with marinade. Set aside for 20 minutes. Stir in the wood ears strips and shiitake mushrooms.
  3. Rinse the rice. Drain well. Cook rice with 2 cups of water and chestnuts over high heat, covered. Bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to medium heat and cook for 10 minutes. When the water starts to dry up, immediately put chicken, wood ears and mushroom on the surface of the rice. Cover and cook for another 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Keep the lid on. Let the chicken and rice rest inside for another 10 minutes. Remove the lid. Stir to combine all ingredients together. Garnish with spring onion. Drizzle sweet soy sauce if desired.

Notes:
  • The power of every stove is very different. Please adjust the cooking time accordingly.
  • To cook rice on stove, the proportion of rice and water used is 1:2
  • You may use electric cooker instead. The amount of water used will be 10% less than usual as there are some moist in the marinated chicken. When you see some steam starts to release from your electric cooker, quickly add in the chicken and mushrooms.
  • It’s not too difficult to shell and peel chestnuts. Use a not-so-sharp knife in your home to remove the outer shell. Soak the chestnuts in hot water for about 10 seconds, you can easily peel off the inner skin. You might like to wear a glove to hold a hot chestnut when peeling.
  • If fresh chestnuts are not in season or hard to source in your area, frozen ones can be good choice as well.

14 comments :

  1. love this recipe especially with chestnuts when available.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your feedback.

      If fresh chestnuts are not available, frozen ones can be used.

      Delete
  2. I love this recipe and this is a good idea to bring a lunch from home, can be heated in the microwave at the office, thanks Christine

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, good idea. I haven't thought of bringing this rice to office for lunch.
      Colleagues will envy what you have. (Just kidding.)

      Delete
  3. mmm...chestnuts!! This is a perfect winter warmer, Christine.

    ReplyDelete
  4. yum....can't wait to try this recipe! thank you for posting. by the way, the pic in 2nd row 3rd from the left looks like it has dried shrimp? is it or am i just seeing things?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't added any dried shrimps at all. It must be the shredded wood ears.

      Delete
  5. Thank you Christine, I cooked this for my husband and he liked it a lot

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So glad that your husband liked it. Thanks for letting me know. :)


      Delete
  6. Hi christine,

    What if i use basmati rice (as cooking this rice by itself is already 1:2 proportion). Will the proportion still be the same or will i need even more water? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Christine,
    Can I use dried chestnuts instead as fresh ones are hard to come by in my country?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You can use dried ones of course. Get them fully hydrated before cooking.
      I used dried chestnuts before. They're not up to my expectation. Might be the ones I used were not good.
      Wish you're successful.

      Delete
  8. Thanks Christine! I'll give it a try

    ReplyDelete