Stir-Fried Chicken with Chilies and Lemon Grass

This is good Vietnamese recipe for home cooking. There are variations of this dish, using meat or seafood, throughout South East Asia. So for a smooth introduction to the cooking of this region, this is a good recipe to start. Serve with a salad, rice wrappers and a dipping sauce will make it a delicious dish.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

15 ml / 1 tablespoon sugar
30 ml / 2 tablespoon sesame or groundnut (peanut) oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2-3 green or red chilies, seeded and finely chopped
2 lemon grass stalks (white part only), finely sliced
1 onion, finely sliced
350 g / 12 oz skinless chicken breast fillets, cut into bite-size strips
30 ml / 2 tablespoons soy sauce
15 ml / 1 tablespoon nuoc mam
1 bunch fresh coriander (cilantro), stalks removed, leaves chopped
Salt and ground black pepper
Nuoc Cham, to serve

Method:

1. To make a caramel sauce, put the sugar into a pan with 5 ml/1 teaspoon water. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved and turned golden. Set aside.

2. Heat a large wok or heavy pan and add the sesame or groundnut oil. Stir in the chopped garlic, chilies and lemon grass, and stir-fry until they become fragrant and golden. Add the onion and stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the chicken strips.

3. When the chicken is cooked through, add the soy sauce, nuoc mam and caramel sauce. Stir to mix and heat through, then season with a little salt and pepper. Toss the coriander into the chicken and serve with nuoc cham to drizzle over it.
[source from http://www.asianonlinerecipes.com]