Nongkran Daks - Wok Cooking Made Easy: Delicious Meals in Minutes

Chicken Dishes

Five Spice Chicken

You can also add / cup (60 g) fresh or frozen green peas after stir-frying the chicken for a minute or two. A sprinkling of chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro) on the finished dish goes very well with these flavors.

12 oz (350 g) boneless chicken meat, cubed

3 tablespoons sesame oil 5 to 6 cloves garlic, minced

2 green onions (scallions), cut into pieces

Marinade

2 tablespoons rice wine

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon sugar

/ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons five spice powder

1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

Place the chicken in a bowl with the Marinade ingredients, stirring to coat the chicken well. Set aside for 15 to 20 minutes.
Drain the Marinade, reserving all the liquid.
Heat the sesame oil over high heat, and when hot, add the garlic and chicken, and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the reserved Marinade and green onions and cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish.

Five Spice Powder is a highly aromatic blend of Sichuan pepper, cinnamon, clove, fennel and star anise, ground to a fine powder and used to season stir-fried foods, in marinades and for sauces.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 6 mins

Yogurt Chicken Curry

1 chicken, skinned and cut into serving pieces

1 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (250 ml) plain yogurt

2 tablespoons oil

3 onions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons minced ginger

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 green finger-length chilies (more if desired), finely chopped

2 tablespoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

4 cups (7 oz/200 g) finely chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

/ cups (4 oz/100 g) mint leaves, washed and finely chopped

Mix the chicken pieces with the chili powder, salt and half of the yogurt. Marinate for 15 minutes. (Reserve the remainder of the yogurt for later use.)
In a large saucepan or wok, heat the oil over medium heat and stir-fry the onions until transparent before adding the minced ginger and garlic. Stir-fry until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the green chilies, coriander and cumin powders, stirring well into the onion mixture.
Drain the chicken pieces and add to the pan. Increase the heat to high and stir-fry for 5 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent sticking and burning.
Scrape the leftover marinade from the bowl into the cooking chicken pieces, and add the remaining yogurt. Add the chopped coriander and mint leaves and mix well.
Bring to a boil, then cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low and cook until the chicken pieces are done, about 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot.

Ground red pepper is a pungent red powder made from ground dried chili peppers, also known as cayenne pepper. Substitute dried red chili flakes or chili paste.

Serves 46
Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins

Sichuan Chicken with Dried Chilies

If you dont like biting into the whole Sichuan peppercorns, omit them and sprinkle the finished dish with Sichuan Pepper-Salt Powder instead. If sweet dark soy sauce is not available, substitute with 3 tablespoons regular soy sauce mixed with 2 teaspoons sugar.

1 lb (500 g) boneless chicken meat, cubed

2 tablespoons oil

34 dried red chilies, deseeded and cut into thirds

8 Sichuan peppercorns

3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

6 slices fresh ginger

3 green onions (scallions), cut into pieces

Marinade

1 tablespoon rice wine

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

/ teaspoon sugar, or more to taste

/ teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 4 tablespoons water

Sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 tablespoon rice wine

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 4 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons sugar, or more to taste

Place the chicken chunks in a bowl and cover with the Marinade ingredients. Mix well and set aside for 15 to 20 minutes.
Combine the Sauce ingredients and set aside.
Heat the oil in a wok over high heat until hot, add the dried chilies, and scorch for 30 to 60 seconds. Add the Sichuan peppercorns, garlic and ginger, and stir-fry for 30 seconds more.
Add the marinated chicken and stir-fry, until the chicken changes color and firms, about 4 minutes. Add the Sauce, stir to blend all the ingredients, cover, reduce the heat to medium, and braise for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, add the green onions, stir to mix with the chicken for 30 seconds, then remove to a serving dish.

To make Sichuan Pepper-Salt Powder , dry-toast 2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns with / teaspoon salt in a dry pan, then grind to a fine powder.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins

Turmeric Chicken

1 chicken, cut into serving pieces

/ in (3 cm) fresh turmeric root, peeled, sliced and ground, or 1 / teaspoons ground turmeric

/ 2 teaspoons salt

/ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

/ cup (125 ml) oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1 onion, cut into rings

Rinse and pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
Combine the ground turmeric, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub this mixture into the chicken and set aside to marinate for at least 20 minutes.
Heat the oil in a wok over high heat until very hot, slide the marinated chicken pieces into the hot oil gently using a spatula, and stir-fry the chicken until it browns slightly and the juices are sealed in, about 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to stir-fry the chicken for 10 minutes.
Add the sugar and onion, and stir-fry until the onion is lightly browned and the chicken is cooked, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins

Thai Chicken with Basil

2 tablespoons oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 birds-eye chilies, sliced

2 tablespoons fresh green peppercorns (optional)

10 oz (300 g) fresh chicken meat, cut into thin strips

4 oz (120 g) baby corn

8 dried black Chinese mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes, stems discarded and caps sliced

/ cup (4 oz/100 g) green beans, tops and tails removed, cut into lengths

/ cups (4 oz/125 g) cauliflower florets

2 red finger-length chilies, thinly sliced diagonally

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

/ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

/ cup (125 ml) chicken stock

2 sprigs Thai basil leaves

Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Add the garlic, birds-eye chilies and green peppercorns. Stir-fry until the garlic turns golden brown and fragrant.
Add the chicken, baby corn, mushrooms, green beans, cauliflower and chilies, and stir-fry for about 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked and the vegetables are tender. Then season with the fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and black pepper. Mix well and add the chicken stock. Stir-fry for a further minute, add the basil leaves and remove from heat.