Quick ‘n’ easy Lemongrass Chicken

Asian food is by far my favorite cuisine. But that means more than half the world populations food style. While I’m drawn to technically difficult and complex flavors with many different spices there are days when I just want to keep it simple. As my mother says simple flavors may sound boring but it gives the opportunity for one or two things to shine bright and burst out in taste! Here is a dish that did just that, easy and tasted de-lish!

275 Calories per serving 4 servings

Preparation time 10 minutes

Cooking time 20 minutes

2 medium Chicken breasts (1 pound)

3 tablespoons Flour

Salt

1 teaspoon Pepper

2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tall stick Lemon grass (only the white part, chopped up)

2-3 medium to small Shallots (1/2 cup diced)

1 stick Celery (optional)

3 cloves Garlic

1 Bell pepper chopped in medium sized cubes

1 diced Tomato

2 green chillies

Hand

Handful Basil leaves

1 teaspoon Fish sauce

1. Slice up the chicken breast into 1/2 inch thick slices. Cut it against the grain of the meat so it doesn’t fall apart.
2. Sprinkle salt and pepper to season the chicken. I find a light sprinkle across both the front and back surfaces of the meat is enough to season the meat perfectly. Now toss the meat in flour and let it sit there till the oil is really hot.
3. In a pan/ wok take 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and heat till its smoking hot. Reduce the flame just a quarter and add in the chicken pieces. Let them turn golden on one side and then turn them over. Chicken cooks really fast. this should take about 5-6 minutes for all the chicken pieces. Try not to crowd the pan. Otherwise the chicken will boil in its juices instead of frying.
4. Using a slotted spoon take all the chicken pieces out once they turn golden.
5. Use the remaining oil to saute the chopped lemon grass, shallots, celery and garlic. Season with salt and saute till shallots and celery are soft and lost their crunch.
6. Add in fish sauce, and diced tomatoes and a dash of salt to season and cook till tomatoes soften.
7. Either whole or snapped in half, add in the green chilies and the chunks of bell pepper. Cover and cook for 2-4 minutes.
8. Toss in the chicken pieces with any juices that may have come out while the meat rested. Add 1/2 teaspoon sugar, stir and cook while covered for another 5 minutes.
9. Serve with a garnish of ripped fresh basil. This will go well with brown rice, cauliflower rice, or on a crunchy bed of lettuce.

Advertisement