Southeast Asian Chicken Two Ways Recipes

SOUTHEAST ASIAN CHICKEN CURRY

Steps:

• Mix ground cinnamon, turmeric, garam masala, paprika, ginger, bay leaves, star anise, cardamom, cinnamon stick, kaffir leaf, and chile pepper together in a bowl.
• Mix 1/2 of 1 yogurt container with 2 tablespoons of spice mixture and 1 tablespoon fish sauce in a bowl. Make deep cuts into the chicken thighs to allow sauce to penetrate. Coat chicken with yogurt mixture and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours.
• Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Stir-fry onion and garlic in the hot pot for 30 seconds; add remaining spice mixture and continue to stir-fry, 30 seconds more. Add chicken to the pan and fry until spices around chicken have darkened, 2 to 4 minutes. Add marinade and bring to a boil over high heat; continue to boil, covered, for 2 minutes.
• Dissolve bouillon in water and add to the pot. Add remaining yogurt, remaining fish sauce, and sugar. Boil chicken in sauce until nearly cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Add tomato sauce; boil until chicken is no longer pink in the centers and sauce has completely thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Melt butter into mixture and cover. Turn off heat and let dish rest to let chicken absorb sauce, about 30 minutes.

SOUTHEAST ASIAN CHICKEN, TWO WAYS

Steps:

• Place chicken in a large bowl with soy sauce, 1 tablespoon each of garlic and ginger and 1 teaspoon chili flakes. Toss well to coat. Chicken may be covered and refrigerated for up to a day.
• Put oil in a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade, and add, skin-side down, to hot oil. Brown well on both sides, then lower heat, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes. At this point, chicken can be served with lime wedges and cilantro, if you wish.
• For Vietnamese-style chicken, remove chicken from pan, then turn heat to low, and add sugar, another tablespoon each of garlic and ginger and another teaspoon of chili, along with 2 tablespoons water. Raise heat to high and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar melts and sauce thickens and foams. Add nam pla and any juices accumulated around the reserved chicken, and cook a minute more, then return chicken to pan, and cook, turning pieces until they are nicely glazed and chicken is hot. Remove from skillet, spoon sauce on top, garnish with lime and cilantro, if you wish, and serve.