This recipe is an absolute cracker. I made it once and then twice and then just like that, I’d made it multiple times in just a few short weeks. It’s healthy, delicious and very easy to put together. The recipe serves about 5 -6 people, depending on how many have seconds. Not only does it make for a great dinner which you can prepare in advance, the leftovers make a perfect lunch as it is nice and light. I would recommend doing the chicken two nights in advance, that way the coconut flavours really have time to infuse throughout the chicken.
Collect for the chicken
- 500 g chicken thigh, skinless and boneless (don’t cut into small pieces)
- ½ onion
- 1 T peanut oil
- 2 T roughly chopped fresh ginger
- 1 T lemongrass
- 1 T ground cumin
- 400 ml coconut milk
Collect for the salad
- ¾ c shredded coconut
- ¾ c roasted peanuts, chopped or whole
- 100 g vermicelli noodles
- 2 c chopped bok choy or spinach
- 2 large carrots, peeled and grated
- 2 – 3 sticks celery/cucumber, finely chopped
- ¾ c fresh coriander
- 1 red chili, finely chopped
Collect for the dressing
- 2 T fish sauce
- 2 T brown sugar
- 5 T fresh lime juice
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- ½ t sesame oil
- Big pinch chili flakes
Create
- Add the oil to a medium saucepan and place over a medium heat. Add the onion, ginger, lemongrass and cumin and cook, stirring for a few minutes until fragrant.
- Add the coconut milk and the chicken and increase the heat to high and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer gently for 6-8 minutes, turning the chicken over once, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool before shredding.
- Transfer the chicken and the sauce into a bowl or container and refrigerate until needed – the longer the better for infusing flavor into the chicken (up to 2 days).
- When ready to serve, discard the liquid and put the rest of the chicken into a large bowl.
- Whisk the dressing ingredients together and set aside to.
- Dry roast the coconut, keeping a close eye on it so that it doesn’t burn. Toast until golden.
- Add the noodles to a large bowl with the chopped Asian greens. Pour over boiling water to cover and leave for a few minutes until soft. Drain and leave in the colander to cool for 10 minutes.
- Add to the chicken with the carrot, celery, coriander, chili, coconut and peanuts. Toss through the dressing and serve.