Malaysian Style Chicken Thighs
Why this recipe works: We love the combination of flavor typical of Malaysian cuisine. Lemon grass, chilies, tamarind, and coconut, plus spices like cumin, coriander, and turmeric, combine to create the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors. Normally Malaysian chicken is made with tamarind paste, but to simplify the intredient list without losing flavor, we substituted lime juice. The lime juice offers the same tangy acidity to this dish that tamarind would, but it’s much more accessible to the home cook. Coconut milk is a key ingredient in many Malaysian – style dished, and this one is no exception. In fact, it’s the only liquid we add to the pot, yet its sweetness doesn’t overwhelm the other ingredients. We cut the meaty base of the lemon grass stalk into chucks so they are easy to remove from the finished dish. To make this dish a meal, we serve it with rice and lime wedges.
Ingredients: 4 serving
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1½ pounds)
Salt Pepper
1 onion, chopped
4 fresh green chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 stalks lemon grass, cut into 3 inch pieces
2 tablespoons lime juice
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
Procedures:
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Pat chicken thighs with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Cook chicken until well browned on 1 side, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl.
- Add onion and chiles to empty skillet and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, turmeric, coriander, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add coconut milk, scraping up any bits, then add chicken and any accumulated juices and lemon grass. Cook until chicken is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove lemon grass, add lime juice, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with toasted coconut. Serve
Smart Shopping: Lemon Grass
The tender heart of the lemon grass stalk is used to flavor man Asian dishes, broths marinades, and sauces. Citral, the essential oil also found in lemon peel, gives lemon grass a sour lemon flavor and fragrance. When buying lemon grass, look for green stalks, not brown that are firm and fragrant. If the lemon grass is young (which is unusual in American supermarkets), it can be finely minced and eaten. When using older, more woody stalks, it is best to remove them before serving, as one would remove bay leaves. To prepare lemon grass for cooking, first trim the dry leafy top and tough bottom from the stalk. Next, peel of the out layers and cut the stalk into chunks