Singaporean Rice

Singaporean Rice is a Pakistani fusion recipe, inspired by Asian food. The tasty dish combines rice, noodles, and chicken with a spicy sauce. It’s a fun and unique recipe to surprise people with at dinners! 

Singaporean Rice is a pretty distinctive recipe, especially when it comes to Pakistani recipes. I was still a teenager when I first tried it at a dinner party in Karachi that I was attending with my parents. Full disclosure, I didn’t like it at all. I thought it was a strange mix of things, and it was just far too spicy for me to be able to enjoy.

Well, some (read: a lot of!) time has passed since I was a teenager, and I’ve been fortunate to revisit this Pakistani dinner on several occasions, both in people’s homes and in restaurants. It’s allowed me to try several versions of the recipe, and now I’m sharing my own with you.

this recipe

What is Singaporean Rice

Singaporean Rice is a popular modern fusion recipe originating in Pakistan. The recipe gained popularity in the very early 2000s, and has become a popular addition to Pakistani restaurant menus and dinner parties since. I’ve heard that it was a very popular dish in the mid-2000s Pakistani wedding scene, but I’ve personally never seen it at a wedding.

The dish is made of three layers: seasoned rice, topped with noodles, topped with chicken and a spicy mayo sauce. It’s a fun mixture of textures, and the chilli and mayonnaise sauce with the chicken really brings the dish together.   

And in case you’re wondering, there is no real original or authentic version. This recipe has very little to actually do with Singapore. It’s a Pakistani recipe that borrows elements of Asian cuisine, and somehow became known as Singaporean Rice. (Probably just to sound cool!)

Ingredients

For the rice

• Basmati rice
• Salt
• Soy sauce
• Black pepper, ground

For the noodles

• Chow mein-style noodles or spaghetti
• Red bell pepper
• Green bell pepper
• Orange bell pepper
• Red onion
• Ginger-garlic paste
• Bouillon cube
• Soy sauce

For the chicken

• Olive oil
• Chicken breast
• Ginger garlic paste
• Soy sauce
• Ketchup
• Sriracha

For the baghaar

• Vegetable oil
• Garlic
• Green chilies

For the chili mayo sauce

• Mayonnaise
• Hot sauce
• Ketchup
• Vinegar
• Salt
• Black pepper

For the garnish

• Scallions (optional)

How to make Singaporean Rice

Given that this recipe is usually something seen at parties, it’s nice that making Singaporean Rice is thankfully a fairly simple process. There are few different components, but each one is quick and easy.

Prepare the seasoned rice

Start by preparing your rice in salted water, and according to the package directions. Once cooked, season it with the soy sauce and ground black pepper to taste.

Prepare the noodles

Next prepare the noodles in salted water, and according to the package directions. In a separate large skillet, heat some oil and stir-fry the onions and mixed peppers, alongside the ginger-garlic paste. Sauté for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and cooked. Add the cooked noodles to the vegetables skillet, add the soy sauce and sauté for a couple more minutes.

Prepare the chicken

Sauté the chicken with olive oil in pan. Add the ginger garlic paste, soy sauce, ketchup and sriracha. Sauté for five more minutes, or until the chicken has cooked through and the outsides have browned.

Prepare the baghaar

Simply shallow fry the garlic and green chiles in vegetable oil, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Prepare the spicy mayonnaise sauce 

In a bowl, mix all the spicy mayonnaise sauce ingredients together.

Assembly

Serve the dish with the seasoned rice as the base, top with the noodles, chicken, sauce, baghaar and green onions. Enjoy! (And prepare for everyone to ask you about this delicious but surprising dish.)

Tips

While there are a few different components to Pakistani Singapore Rice, nothing is particularly complicated or tiresome to prepare. I’ve laid out the ingredients and cooking instructions by component so it’s easy to see everything involved, but I actually recommend cooking one or two different components at the same time (provided you’re comfortable doing so). 

For example, as long as you have enough pots and stovetop space, you can prepare the rice and the noodles simultaneously.

The only exception is the baghaar, which I recommend preparing closer to the time of serving.

Variation ideas

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To be completely honest with you, I don’t think I’ve ever seen variations on Singapore Rice. Every event I’ve attended has followed the same formula with the difference only really being the spice levels and serving platters.

Does that mean there’s nothing you can do to change this up? Absolutely not, here are a few fun ways to experiment with this recipe:

Go with fried rice. Instead of a seasoned Basmati rice, use fried rice as your base.

Switch up the spicy base. I use sriracha (because I love sriracha, and it’s easily available), but you can adjust the spice profile by switching it out with harissa or even Tabasco sauce!

Seasoned noodles. Singaporean Rice is typically made using plain chow mein-style noodles (though spaghetti is often used too). However, try making it with a seasoned noodle such as Maggi’s or Indomie (my personal favorite) for a fun twist.

Switch out the chicken. While proper Singaporean rice is made using boneless chicken pieces, you can definitely switch things up a bit by using shrimps or prawns instead.

Serving suggestions

Singaporean Rice is served as the star of the meal. It’s quite carb-heavy so I’d recommend pairing it with something like chana chaat.

Storage suggestions

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days. The better option is to store the components separately, and prepare the baghaar on the day of serving/assembly.

This recipe can be frozen for up to one month. Please make sure to thaw completely before serving.