Lemongrass Chicken

This is a very easy dish to make for dinner.  Look like a lot of work, but it is not.  My cooking is about feelings, so if you really ask me how much to put into a dish, I really don't have a perfect measurement.  Pastry and cakes, we need to be accurate with the measurement, but when it comes to Asian cooking especially for dinner with rice or noodles, I play it up with my feelings.

It is like how many stalks of lemongrass I use for this dish?  Depends on how sweet the smell I would like for this dish.  So, my advice is, be in a great blissful mood when you cook, and you dish will turn up according to your mood.  Really, believe me!  It works for me anyway....that is why cooking is so easy and simple for me and I truly like it.  

If I am ever going to write a cookbook, I may as well call it Agak-Agak, because all my Asian Delights, apart from sweets and desserts, are all according to my feelings and yes, I always agak-agak (estimate) the amount of ingredients I need.

Lemongrass Chicken

Serves 2 or 4 with other dishes

Preparation time : 20 mins

Cooking time : 20 mins (longer if needed for tenderness)

Ingredients :

1/4 Chicken - cut to bite-size pieces

Oil for cooking

Lemongrass - 8 stalks or more (roughly chopped)

Shallots - about 10 or more

Ginger - how big? up to you!!

Belacan - powder, about 2 tsp

Turmeric powder, about 2 tsp (next time I should use fresh Turmeric)

Chili paste - up to your palate

Star anise and clove - up to you!!

Water - how much? depends how thick the gravy you want

Blend lemongrass, shallots, ginger, belacan, chili paste and turmeric powder until it becomes a paste.  Add a little water if it is too dry, especially if you use chili powder.

Add star anise and cloves to the hot oil for flavor. Add in the blended paste. Fry until fragrant. Add in the chicken. Fry until the paste has covered all chicken pieces. Add water to your preference. Leave to boil. Then, turn to medium heat and continue boiling until chicken is soft. Season to taste.

Note : if no shallots at the time of cooking, you can use onions. Next time I cook this dish again, I may want to try with other spices, like leaves, such as daun ketumbar and other daun-daun and see how it taste.