A fragrant chicken dish using lemongrass, garlic, tamarind and chilis.
I've been introducing readers to the flavourful and spicy dishes of Cambodia and Laos and thought this recipe might evoke the food culture of each of those countries.
Lemongrass is widely used in Southeast Asia – specifically, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Only the inner part of the lower third of the stem is edible.
You should either stand the stems in a glass of water (after trimming off the leaves and leaving about 6 inches of stem), leaving it in a warm place for up to 2 weeks before using or, trim and store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Some people recommend cutting up the stems finely and storing in the freezer in a sealed bag, this keeps for several months.
STIR-FRIED CHICKEN WITH LEMONGRASS
- 1 lb of chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 1/2 tbsp sugar
- small handful of crushed chili
- ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1 stem lemongrass, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tbsp oil
- 2/3 cup chicken stock
- 1 tbsp tamarind pulp soaked in ¼ cup warm water, squeezed and strained to retain the juice
- salt
- Put the chicken in a bowl and mix in 1/2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, the chili, pepper, lemongrass and half of the garlic. Marinate for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a wok, add the remaining garlic and stir fry for a few seconds, then add the chicken and fry until it has turned brown
- Reduce the heat, add the remaining 1 tbsp of sugar, chicken stock and tamarind juice. Simmer until the chicken is tender, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add salt.
The copyright of the article Lemongrass Chicken in Thai Food is owned by June Chua. Permission to republish Lemongrass Chicken must be granted by the author in writing.
