Chicken Stir-fried with Lemongrass

Stir-fried chicken with lemongrass and chili is a delicious and flavorful dish in the Vietnamese cuisine. The combination of ginger, lemongrass, garlic, and shallot in the marinade ensures the chicken is well-seasoned. Fresh coconut water is used to simmer the chicken, enhancing the rustic flavor. Let's make this dish together!

Ingredients:

For the Chicken Marinade:

5 oz. chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 tbsp minced lemongrass

1/2 tbsp minced garlic cloves

1/2 tbsp minced shallot

1 small piece of ginger, minced

1/2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp chicken seasoning powder

For the Simmering Sauce:

12 oz. fresh coconut water

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp chicken seasoning powder

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Ingredients for Stir-frying:

2 stalks lemongrass, smashed

2 tbsp annatto oil (or any oil for coloring)

Directions:

Marinating the chicken:

In a bowl, combine the chicken with lemongrass, garlic, shallot, ginger, fish sauce, sugar, and chicken seasoning powder. Mix well and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Preparing the simmering sauce:

In another bowl, combine the coconut water, fish sauce, soy sauce, chicken seasoning powder, sugar, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

Cooking the chicken:

Heat a pan with 2 tablespoons of annatto oil.

Add the marinated chicken and stir-fry until the chicken turns golden yellow. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Stir-frying the aromatics:

In the same pan, add the remaining garlic, ginger, and galangal with the lemongrass stalks. Stir-fry for about 1 minute until fragrant.

Simmering the chicken:

Pour in the simmering sauce and bring it to a boil.

Add the fried chicken back into the pan. Reduce the heat and let it simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and has absorbed the flavors of the sauce.

Finishing and Serving:

Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.

Optionally, you can add green onions before turning off the heat. Also, hot chili can be added for someone’s spicy taste buds.

Serve the chicken with hot rice.

Enjoy your meal!!