To me, there are few meals as comforting as chicken and rice. Whether it’s a spicy Kerala chicken fry with ghee rice, Hainanese style chicken and rice or even this ridiculously good cheesy chicken and rice casserole, I am always on the lookout for more of these to add to my repertoire. This braised chicken isn’t reinventing the wheel, it’s just a reaffirmation of some of our favourite flavours, in an easy, stress-free meal.

There are several versions for it online, but I wanted to post this here because I think it’s a very appropriate lockdown meal, that can be made with ingredients you are likely to have with you.

If you’d like to make this vegetarian, eggplant would work really well here. Fry the eggplant first and then continue with the recipe as below.

Note: I’ve used black vinegar here but any mild vinegar will do. You can also use distilled white vinegar, just use a little less than the amount I’ve mentioned.

We’re also trying to make more videos these days — let us know what you think!

Recipe: Easy Braised Chicken

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp black vinegar (see note above)
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
5-7 dried red chillies
2 cups chicken stock
A handful of dried mushrooms
1 tsp sugar
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
2 tbsp sesame seeds, for garnish

Method

Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Soak the dried mushrooms in warm water for 15 minutes.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and sear the chicken on high flame till browned, 3-4 minutes on each side.
Set the chicken aside, and add the ginger and dried red chillies to the pot and sauté for a minute or two on medium heat until fragrant.
Add the chicken back in, pour in the stock, soy sauce, oyster sauce and vinegar. Add the mushrooms along with the water it was rehydrating it, and sugar.
Cover and cook for twenty minutes on medium heat. Adjust seasoning if needed.
Toast sesame seeds in a dry pan until it turns golden. Sprinkle over the chicken.
Serve hot.