Hong Kong cafes or cha chaan teng originated in, of course, Hong Kong in the 1900s. These cafes serve all kinds of dishes, from authentically cantonese food to a mix of fusion dishes like pineapple buns and baked rice. In a lot of ways cha chaan teng imagine western food for the Chinese palate.
One of my favorite Hong Kong cafe dishes growing up was baked rice. It features either white jasmine rice or fried rice smothered in either a ketchup-y sweet tomato sauce or creamy white sauce, topped with a protein of choice, and dripping in gooey bubbling baked cheese.
I’ve never been a huge fan of cream sauces so this is my favorite version: chicken baked rice with tomato sauce. In this version I use a rotisserie chicken as a shortcut to getting this Chinese casserole made a little faster, but feel free to pan fry your own chicken thighs if desired!
Hong Kong Style Baked Rice (with Tomato Sauce)
Equipment
- 1 9"x13" baking dish OR oven proof
- 6-8 Smaller oven safe ramekins
Ingredients
- 3-4 cups uncooked jasmine rice washed until the water runs clear
- 1 bunch scallions thinly sliced (including the white parts)
- 1 rotisserie chicken
- 2 Tbsp neutral oil
- 1/2 ginger finely minced
- 4 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 5-6 medium-sized tomatoes diced
- 4 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp ketchup
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp Diamond brand kosher salt half as much if using a different brand
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water room temperature
- 1.5 cups shredded low moisture mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Cook rice according to directions. Once the rice cooker is done. add sliced scallions and mix to combine. Set aside.3-4 cups uncooked jasmine rice, 1 bunch scallions
- Break down and debone the chicken, removing the skin and making sure to keep/use the dark meat (thighs are the best!).1 rotisserie chicken
- In a large pot, heat the oil on high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 20-30 seconds before adding the onions and bell pepper.2 Tbsp neutral oil, 1/2 ginger, 4 cloves garlic, 1 medium yellow onion, 1 red bell pepper
- Cook until onions and bell pepper have softened a bit, then add the tomato paste, ketchup, and soy sauce and cook for about a minute before adding the diced tomatoes. Add sugar, salt and white pepper along with 1 cup of water and let the mixture simmer for about 15 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down a bit.5-6 medium-sized tomatoes, 4 Tbsp tomato paste, 2 Tbsp ketchup, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp white pepper, 1 cup water, 1 Tbsp Diamond brand kosher salt
- In the meantime, make the cornstarch slurry by mixing 1/4 cool water with 2 tsp cornstarch until no lumps remain. Set aside.1/4 cup water, 2 tsp cornstarch
- Taste the sauce — it should be a little bit too salty to eat on its own (remember that the rice is unseasoned, so once mixed together it'll taste less salty). Adjust seasonings accordingly, adding more salt, sugar, or ketchup as needed.
- Add the cornstarch slurry and stir to combine. Cook for another few minutes until the sauce thickens up a bit.
- Carefully layer rice onto the bottom of your baking dish or the bottom of each ramekin, then layer on the chicken, then the tomato sauce, and finally a generous sprinkling of mozzarella cheese.1.5 cups shredded low moisture mozzarella cheese
- Move the dish to the oven and bake until the cheese is golden and bubbling, about 30-40 minutes. Serve hot.