As-sam (Bornean Bamboo-Cooked Rice With Chicken)

Name: As-sam (Bornean Bamboo-Cooked Rice With Chicken)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups (500g) white medium-grain rice, such as Bario or arborio; 1 3/4 pounds (795g) bone-in, skin-on chicken cut into 2-inch cubes (see notes); 2 stalks lemongrass, bottom 4 to 5 inches only, outer leaves discarded, tender core roughly chopped; One 2-inch piece (25g) peeled fresh ginger, pounded; 5 medium cloves garlic, pounded into a paste in a mortar and pestle; 3 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste; for table salt, use half as much by volume; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 3 pandan leaves (if cooking in a bamboo culm) or 1 pandan leaf (if cooking in a baking dish); 1 bamboo culm (optional; see note)

Imbued with the fragrance of ginger, lemongrass, and pandan, this Bornean rice dish is hearty and satisfying.

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 90 min

Total: 150 min

6 servings

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups (500g) white medium-grain rice, such as Bario or arborio
1 3/4 pounds (795g) bone-in, skin-on chicken cut into 2-inch cubes (see notes)
2 stalks lemongrass, bottom 4 to 5 inches only, outer leaves discarded, tender core roughly chopped
One 2-inch piece (25g) peeled fresh ginger, pounded
5 medium cloves garlic, pounded into a paste in a mortar and pestle
3 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste; for table salt, use half as much by volume
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 pandan leaves (if cooking in a bamboo culm) or 1 pandan leaf (if cooking in a baking dish)
1 bamboo culm (optional; see note)

Instructions

1
In a rice cooker or saucepan, cook rice according to package instructions. Once cooked, set aside to cool to room temperature with the lid off, about 30 minutes, then fluff with a spatula or spoon.
2
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, thoroughly mix together chicken, lemongrass, ginger, and garlic with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.
3
Add the fluffed rice, black pepper, and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt to the chicken and rice mixture, stirring the filling well with a spatula or your hands to make sure everything is well incorporated and the rice is no longer in clumps.
4
To Cook in Bamboo: Build a live wood fire. Rinse the bamboo culm. Using your hands, gently stuff the bamboo culm with the filling until either the bamboo is filled almost to the brim or no more filling remains.
5
Roll the pandan leaves into a tight ball and stuff them into the bamboo culm opening to plug it (it won't be an airtight plug, but will help trap some heat).
6
Carefully set the filled bamboo over the live fire, leaning it at an angle so that the open (pandan-leaf-stuffed) end is on top, the closed end is on the bottom, and the flames are licking the central section of the bamboo. Cook, rotating bamboo every 5 to 10 minutes for even heating and to prevent any section from burning, and shifting the bamboo as needed to also expose each end to the flames, until a steady steam escapes from the bamboo's opening, about 1 hour; feed fire as needed to maintain a live flame. Remove the bamboo culm from the fire until cool enough to handle.
7
Using a heavy-duty knife or cleaver and tapping its spine with a heavy object, carefully split the bamboo vertically from the open end, then pry open the bamboo and scoop out the filling into a large bowl. Serve warm.
8
To Cooking in a Baking Dish: Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Spread rice mixture into a 9- by 13-inch baking dish, smoothing the surface without packing the rice too tightly. Tie 1 pandan leaf into a knot and place on top of the rice mixture. Cover baking dish tightly with foil. Cook until chicken is fully cooked through, 30 to 45 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

undefined

Calories

Protein

Carbs

Fat

Want to customize this recipe?

Make it vegan, keto, allergen-free, or adjust servings with AI.