khao man gai. & a walk along the sandy river.

I got the inspiration for khao man gai from reading an interview on Sous Style sharing favorite places to eat in Portland OR. The food truck Nong's Khao Man Gai, was one of them. So I looked up a recipe for this popular Thai chicken & rice dish on She Simmers & worked from there.

The recipe here, may not be to the utmost of tradition, but totally works (I hope to not offend). It is so simple, delish & if you made it for a crowd they would be so please because they may not think to make it for themselves. It is also wonderful because this meal is a complete make-ahead, can be eaten at room temperature & really is little work.

The flavors are simple & homey, while the sweet & spicy ginger chili sauce adds a little kick. Traditionally, you would serve a small bowl of the broth with a winter squash or some sort of veggie as a side, but it was a little too warm for soup in our apartment. If you are interested in the accompanying soup check out the She Simmers recipe where she tells you how to do it.

khao man gai. 

serves 4-6

1 4lb free-range chicken, cleaned

1 tsp salt

1 tsp whole peppercorns

1. In a large stockpot, place the chicken & the spices on the bottom & cover with water. Bring to a boil & let simmer for 1hr- 1:15. You don't want the chicken falling off the bone like a stew, it should still have structure.
2. When it is done, take it out of all the beautiful broth & let it cool on a platter.

1 cup jasmine rice

1 1/2 cups chicken broth (the one just made)

1. Add rice & broth into a medium pot, bring to a boil & reduce heat to low & continue to cook for 10-12 minutes until the broth is absorbed. 

to serve:

sliced cucumbers (really refreshing!)

cilantro (I didn't have cilantro & neither did my local market--so I used chopped scallions & basil)

sweet & spicy ginger chili sauce*

1. Plate up the rice & slices of the lovely, tender chicken. Add slices of cucumber on the side with a few cilantro leaves (or scallions). Serve the sauce on the side. 

sweet & spicy ginger chili sauce.

This sauce would also be a good dipping sauce--a great one to just have in the refrigerator!

3 TBL ginger, peeled & roughly chopped (it's okay if it fibrous)

2 cloves garlic, halved

4 chilis or 4-5 tsp chili paste (depending on your heat preference--just test along the way)

3 TBL organic sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 TBL rice vinegar or white vinegar

1. Put ingredients into a food processor, blitz until smooth. Add into a small pot, bring to a boil, then remove from heat after 30-40 seconds. 

happy eatings & cheers!