Laksa Pulled Chicken Prata Foldover

Singapore's national day is less than 2 weeks away. When asked to create a dish that showcases the multicultural cuisines of Singapore, I thought why not also attempt to “upscale” it?

In recent years, we have seen a few food fads. Many willingly fork out good money for them, yet not do the same when it comes to the familiar food we grew up with. Think bak chor mee (minced meat noodles) vs Japanese ramen, ice kacang vs bingsu. Our local fare is no less tasty and oftentimes require the same amount, if not more effort to prepare. 

Since cafe culture has been getting increasingly popular in Singapore, I drew inspiration from cafe food trends in Australia and infused them with some of our favourite local flavours. The result? This foldover that I’ll gladly pay for in a little hippy cafe.

Laksa Pulled Chicken Prata Foldover (makes about 10)

650g     Chicken thigh, boneless
350g     Chicken breast
100g     Laksa paste, premix

  85g     Onion, minced
  40g     Dried shrimps, soaked, minced
 2 - 6     Chili padi
   2        Lemongrass, white portion, slightly smashed

275g     Coconut cream
200g     Water

2 tbsp   Laksa leaves, chopped

1. Marinate chicken pieces with laksa paste for at least 30 mins.

2. In a sauce pot over medium heat, sauté minced onion in about a tablespoon of oil till it turns translucent. Add in the minced dried shrimps, chili padi, lemongrass stalks and sauté till fragrant.

3. Add in the marinated chicken pieces and sear till the exterior is no longer raw. Pour in the coconut cream and water. Stir to combine thoroughly and bring to a boil.

4. Turn heat down to low when the mixture boils, cover slightly and maintain a simmer for about 30 mins.

5. Remove chicken pieces from the laksa gravy, discard skin and shred with 2 forks. Keep gravy on a simmer while doing that.

6. Return the shredded chicken into pot and heat through thoroughly. There shouldn't be too much gravy left and the chicken will absorb some too. Season accordingly with salt if needed. Stir in the chopped laksa leaves and it's ready to serve.

To serve:
Prata
Lettuce
Bean sprouts
Laksa leaves
Calamansi 

Other serving suggestions:
Fried tau pok
Hardboiled egg
Fried chicken skin

7. If using prepacked prata, cook accordingly to package instructions.

8. Lay pieces of lettuce on half a side of the prata. Place generous heaps of the laksa pulled chicken on top then add beansprouts and laksa leaves.

9. Fold the prata into half like a taco and serve. Squeeze some calamansi juice over it before eating.

If you like this recipe and would like to share it, please link to this blog post with its original contents. All recipes are created by me (unless otherwise stated) and require a lot of effort and time to craft. Crediting back is the biggest form of encouragement for me! Thank you! =)

Thoughts: Laksa is my go-to food whenever I don't know what to eat. Most people’s go-to choice is chicken rice which is my 2nd choice ‘cause I kinda overkilled on it while growing up. So naturally, the first flavour I want to work with is Laksa. Just look at the Laksa Sablés from last year, it was also the first thing that popped into mind. 

It's no surprise that the laksa flavour works seamlessly as a pulled chicken dish. Though not one of the traditional toppings, chicken has made its way onto our bowl of regular Laksa. Not all stalls use them; it's a relatively recent addition to replace see hum (cockles). While I love see hums, I don't mind having chicken too. The meat will plump up from soaking in the spicy gravy and kinda squirts with every bite. And that is what inspired me for this dish.

Although chicken thigh carries more flavour but chicken breast soaks up more gravy and becomes "juicier", so I decided on 2 chicken thighs and 1 chicken breast. I still want the pulled chicken to be moist and flavourful but not too wet as it is meant to be a filling after all. You can do it in whichever permutation you prefer though.

And since I'm creating a kinda brunchy dish, of course prata must be included; it's one of Singapore's quintessential breakfast choices! I'd say it's the perfect vessel for this application. Flaky and not too greasy. Together with the cool lettuce, crisp bean sprouts, extra sprinkle of aromatic laksa leaves and that squeeze of calamansi. Oompf! So toothsome!

I think this foldover is a good representation of Singapore - we embrace our traditions but we are also trendy and updated with time. Although it didn't encompass all the different cuisines we have, which is quite impossible since we are so diverse, it signifies that different cuisines can come together to form a cohesive dish. Just like how people from different countries, background and all walks of life, not just different races, can live harmoniously on this little island we call home.

Serve this dish and turn your home into a cafe this national day, or better still, invite your friends and family for "prata folding party" and watch NDP together! Share with us how you enjoy this dish on facebook or tag @whattobaketoday on instagram! 

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