L2 (Lime and lemongrass) Chicken...no rambling today!!

L² (Lime and Lemongrass) Chicken…no rambling today…quick quick post…have to rush out and get some work done…super easy, super delicious Vietnamese style chicken curry

Lime and Lemongrass Chicken

Ingredients:

• Chicken thighs, bone in, without skin, 700 gms
• Onions, finely sliced, 1 medium
• Palm sugar or brown sugar, 1 tbsp
• Fresh Ginger, 1” piece
• Fresh Garlic, 2-3 cloves
• Kaffir Lime leaves, 6-7
• Lemongrass, white part only, 4
• Red chillies, 2
• Fish Sauce, 1 tbsp or to taste 
• Coconut Milk, 1 cup
• Salt, to taste 
• Oil, 1 tbsp
• Fresh Coriander and Red chillies for garnishing

Instructions:

Wash and clean the chicken. Remove all excess fat from the chicken. Pat dry and keep aside.

Grind together fish sauce, ginger, garlic, lime leaves, lemon grass and chilli in a food processor/blender/mixie. Keep aside.

Heat a heavy bottom pan on low heat and add sugar and oil to it. 

Let the sugar dissolve in oil over low heat till it caramelizes – ensure that the sugar doesn’t burn. 

Add in the onions and the lemongrass paste and cook for 4-5 minutes.

Increase the heat to high and add in the chicken. Toss and mix the chicken well in the caramelized paste.

Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and let the chicken braise in its own juices at a low simmer for 15-20 minutes. Stir the chicken every 5-6 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and simmer for another 10 minutes or so. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Serve garnished with coriander leaves and red chillies with steamed rice.

Notes:

• Fresh Red chillies were not available so soaked some dried ones in warm water for about ½ hour. Used as normal when they became soft and plumped up!! 

• If you don’t have palm sugar or brown sugar, you can use either jaggery or regular sugar.

• You can substitute Fish sauce with Light Soy Sauce.