Mum’s Nam Yue Chicken (Fermented Beancurd)

It’s been so long since Mum cooked, and honestly, I didn’t realize how much I’d missed her food until nam yue chicken appeared on the table again. There’s just something about a mother’s cooking — the way she turns the most humble ingredients into pure comfort. This Nam Yue Chicken, or fermented beancurd chicken, is one of those dishes that instantly feels home-cooked.

Mum always keeps a jar tucked in the back of the fridge “just in case,” and when she brings it out, you know dinner’s going to be special. The aroma that fills the kitchen as the Nam Yue hits the hot wok with garlic is pure nostalgia. It’s funky, savoury, and deeply comforting all at once.

This dish starts with potatoes fried until lightly golden. They soak up the sauce later, turning tender and almost creamy inside. The chicken then simmers gently in the Nam Yue gravy, with just a dash of dark soy sauce and enough water to bring it all together. It’s not a fancy recipe. No exact measurements, no special techniques; just instinct and love passed down over years of cooking.

The result? Tender, flavourful chicken coated in a rich, slightly funky, beautifully savoury sauce that clings to every bite. The potatoes melt into the gravy, the garlic disappears into the background, and every mouthful tastes like warmth and memory.

It’s not the kind of dish you’d find in a restaurant. It’s home on a plate. And now that Mum’s shown me her method again, I can’t wait to cook it for the hubs.

Because the only thing better than eating Mum’s food is passing it on.

Click here for the best fried chicken you’ll ever eat – Mum’s 4-ingredient turmeric fried chicken!