It had been a long time since I last cooked tomato rice. Today, I’m making it again; I’m using deep fried breast fillet and learning to make carrot and daikon pickles. I’m also adding a fried egg.

Google: “Malaysian tomato rice, also known as Nasi Tomato, is a rich and flavourful dish where basmati rice is cooked in a fragrant blend of spices, tomatoes, and evaporated milk. It’s often served at special occasions and is known for its luxurious taste and texture. The rice is cooked in a fragrant blend of spices, tomatoes, and coconut milk, giving it a luxurious taste and texture. “

Google: “Pickled carrot and daikon, especially in Vietnamese cuisine, are a sweet and sour pickled side dish, often used as a condiment or ingredient in various dishes. They are made by pickling thin strips of carrot and daikon in a vinegar-based solution, with added sugar and sometimes salt. The result is a crunchy, tangy, and slightly sweet vegetable that provides a fresh, zesty contrast to richer dishes. Daikon adding a slight radish flavour. Commonly used in Vietnamese dishes like bánh mì, spring rolls, and noodle bowls. Once pickled, they can be stored in the refrigerator for several days or even weeks. In essence, pickled carrot and daikon are a versatile and flavourful pickled vegetable that adds a refreshing and tangy element to many Asian dishes.”

My meal is colourful, flavourful, hearty, comforting and delicious. Let’s learn and cook!!!

Ingredients

Pickled carrot and daikon

2 medium carrots, peeled
1/2 large daikon (white radish), peeled
1 1/2-2 c boiling water
1/2 -1 c granulated sugar
4 Tsp granulated sugar
4 Tsp salt, divided
1/2 c rice wine vinegar or apple cider
1/4 c white wine vinegar or white vinegar
(Note: you can use 3/4 of rice wine vinegar only)

Fried chicken breast

2-4 chicken breasts, skin on
1/2 c cornflour
1 egg
salt
pepper
oil for frying

Tomato rice

4 c jasmine rice or long grain rice like basmati
400 g can tomato condensed soup
1 large onion, diced
1 slice ginger, chopped finely
3-4 cloves garlic, sliced finely
2 Tsp tomato paste
2 1/2 c water
2 c chicken stock (bought)
4 Tbs butter or 2 Tbs butter and 2 Tbs coconut oil
3/4 Tsp salt

Spices

1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
4 cloves
3 cardamom

Sides

fried eggs
oil
salt
pepper
soy sauce (OPT)
carrot and daikon pickles
cut cucumbers

Method

Pickled carrot and daikon – One or Two day in advance

Make sure you sterilised the jars before cutting carrots and daikon. Cut them with a knife, first crosswise into 2 1/2-inch long segments. Then cut 1/4-inch thick slices lengthwise. Stack the slices and cut them again into 1/4-inch thick matchsticks. I use both way using knife to cut and peeler for thinner looks. You don’t have to do both ways. Just matchsticks are ok. Or you can use shredding machine for equal size matchsticks.

Place carrots and daikon in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 4 Tsp sugar and 2 Tsp salt. Using gloves to toss the carrots and daikon with the salt and sugar until well coated. Continue to mix the carrots and daikon until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. They are ready once you can bend a piece of daikon all the way over without it breaking.

Transfer the carrots and daikon to a colander, rinse with cool water and drain well. Pack the carrot and daikon tightly into the jars. In a large bowl, dissolve the remaining salt and 1/2 c sugar first in the hot water. Stir in both vinegar. Pour the pickling sauce into the prepared jars carrots and daikon – they should just about be covered. Seal. Refrigerate.

The pickles should sit at least overnight before eating; their flavour will improve with time. They should last 4 to 6 weeks in the refrigerator. Another thing to remember is that these pickles do taste best within the first 4-5 days of pickling them while they are still in a crisp state.

Note: Yes, you can absolutely use white wine vinegar for pickling carrots and daikon. While rice wine vinegar is traditionally used for recipes like Vietnamese pickled vegetables (do chua) or Japanese kōhaku namasu, white wine vinegar is a suitable alternative, offering a slightly milder flavour and less harsh acidity than distilled white vinegar. 

For pickled carrot and daikon, recipes typically call for 3/4 cup or 1 cup of vinegar depending on the recipe and desired flavour to your taste bud. The specific amount can vary slightly, but both options are common. 

The next day or two days

Fried chicken breast

Wash and pat dry chicken breasts, if too thick, butterflied them. Then season with salt and pepper. Leave in fridge for 2 hours. 

After 2 hours bring chicken breasts to room temperature. Next coat well with cornflour and egg. Heat oil in deep saucepan. When oil is hot. To test if oil is hot, I place a chopstick in and its bubble around. Now put breasts in. Don’t over crowd them if saucepan is small. Cook in batches.

Once in a while, I turn chicken breasts over. I take out one, make a slit in the thickest part, and check if it’s cooked through. When it’s done, I remove it using a food clipper onto a plate lined with a paper towel. This is to absorb the oil off the chicken breasts. I repeat with the other chicken breasts until all are done. Once it had cooled, cut into bite size. Plate them up and keep warm. If chicken pieces had gone cool, reheat in microwave before eating.

Cook tomato rice

Rinse the rice in several changes of water until it runs clear. Soak it for half an hour. Strain off all water. Preheat a saucepan on low heat, add the spices into the pan until aromatic. Break cinnamon into smaller pieces and transfer the spices to a spice bag. This is optional. My parents have dentures; don’t want them to break their dentures.

Using the same saucepan, add 4 Tbs butter or 2 Tbs butter and 2 Tbs coconut oil and let it melts. Cook onion, ginger and garlic until fragrant, about 3 minutes.  Add the spice bag, and cook for another minute. Pour them into the rice cooker pot. Add rice, tomato paste, salt, tomato soup, water, and stock.

Stir to combine. Close the lid of the rice cooker and press cook or cook using the white rice setting until the rice is done. Fluff the rice and press the keep warm button to keep it warm.

Cook egg

Using the same saucepan, heat 1 Tbs oil on medium heat. Gently crack the egg into the saucepan. Cook at low to medium heat for desired doneness: 1 minute for sunny-side up, 45 seconds on one side and 20-25 seconds on the other for over easy, or 90 seconds on each side for over medium. Spoon it out onto plate.

Assemble the bowl: spoon some tomato rice onto plate in the middle; spread out a bit, place 5-6 pieces of fried chicken at the bottom, next up carrot and daikon pickles, next cucumber pieces, and fried egg. I like my egg to be drizzle with a bit of soy sauce. You don’t have to drizzle soy sauce. Enjoy with a glass of red wine!!!

https://helenscchin.com/2020/04/20/tomato-rice-crispy-chicken-egg-and-salad/

For my Nyonya chicken curry recipe:

https://helenscchin.com/2019/05/16/nyonya-chicken-curry-tomato-rice-and-fried-drumettes/

For beef rendang curry:

https://helenscchin.com/2018/03/24/beef-rendang-nasi-kunyit-achar-and-salad/

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