Updated: This was one of the older recipes (from 2010) I tested out, very simple to make, the simmering process does take up to 30 minutes, though the flavor is well worth the wait. Do remember this recipe is on the salty side, but I assume that’s the due to how the Vietnamese people prefer their flavor. I normally would pair this dish with a more bland vegetable stir fry to balance out the meal, little girl ended up drinking TONS of water, guess this is one way to make sure the family get their 8 glasses a day!
Ingredients:
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut into small cubes
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 small onion, chopped
- 1 stalk lemongrass, tender portion finely chopped
- 1 hot red chile pepper minced (I used 1/2tbs red pepper flakes)
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce
- 2 scallions, finely sliced (I skipped this)
Directions:
Marinate chicken in a mixture of honey, salt, pepper and cornstarch for 15 mins
Heat the oil in the fry pan until hot and stir-fry garlic and onion until fragrant. Stir in lemongrass and red pepper for 1 min. Add marinated chicken and stir-fry until brown. Pour in water and fishor soy sauce, and simmer for 10 mins, stirring occasionally until caramel brown. Sprinkle on scallion, toss and remove from heat. (I find that usually it takes me about 15-20 for the water to dry and the bottom of the chicken to brown to that nice shade of brown)
Original Recipe from The Vietnamese Cookbook by Diana My Tran
Weeknite Meals 