Chicken braised with fermented tofu and fragrant galangal is delicious, rich, and flavorful, unique yet still ensures tastiness and appeal. Let’s join TasteVN to go to the kitchen and immediately make these 2 attractive braised dishes!
1. Chicken Braised with Fermented Tofu
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Preparation
10 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Chicken Braised with Fermented Tofu Serves 4
Chicken thighs 500 gr Fermented tofu 50 gr (4 pieces of tofu) Taro 2 bulbs Chili 4 pieces Minced shallots 1 tablespoon Annatto oil 1.5 tablespoons Fish sauce 1/2 tablespoon Common spices a little (Salt/ sugar/ monosodium glutamate)
Ingredient Image
How to Prepare Chicken Braised with Fermented Tofu
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Prepare the chicken
To eliminate the smell of the chicken, wash it thoroughly with water, then rub it with 1 tablespoon of salt and rinse with clean water 2 – 3 times, drain or use a clean towel to dry it.
Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and place the chopped chicken into a bowl.
Tip: To allow the chicken to absorb the seasoning evenly, you can use a skewer or toothpick to poke around the chicken thigh.
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Prepare other ingredients
Peeled shallots, finely chopped. Wash the chili pepper and let it dry.
After buying the potatoes, wash them thoroughly. Peel them, then cut them into small pieces about the thickness of a finger.
Note: Cut the taro into bite-sized pieces so that when soaking in salt water, it will release its sap faster and will also cook more evenly when steaming.
Tip to peel taro without itching
- The sap from taro when peeled can cause skin irritation; you can wear gloves when peeling or pre-cook the taro before peeling (blanch briefly).
- Blanch the taro in salted water: Add the taro and water (enough water to submerge the taro) and then add 2 tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then drain the taro in a colander, rinse with cold water to cool it down before peeling.
- Make sure your hands and the taro are completely dry before peeling, do not wash the taro before peeling.
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Marinate the chicken
Add 50g of fermented tofu (about 4 pieces of tofu), 1.5 tablespoons of annatto oil, and 1 tablespoon of sugar into a bowl with the chicken. Mash the tofu until smooth. Mix the chicken thoroughly and marinate for 30 minutes.
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Fried Taro
While waiting for the chicken to absorb the seasoning, you heat a pan of oil on the stove. When the oil is hot, gradually add the cut taro pieces and fry until golden brown.
Note: You should fry the taro before braising it, as this helps prevent the taro from becoming mushy during the long cooking process. The finished dish will look more appealing and taste better.
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Braise the Chicken
Remove excess oil from frying the taro, keeping about 2 tablespoons. Continue adding 1 tablespoon of sugar to the pan to create caramel for braising the meat.
Once the caramel sugar has turned a brown color, add the minced shallots and sauté until fragrant.
Next, add the marinated chicken and stir well. Stir-fry the chicken until it is browned, then add the fried taro and toss for about 2 minutes.
Add 100ml of water into the bowl used for marinating the chicken earlier, swish it around to get all the leftover seasoning. Pour this water into the chicken pan.
Braise the chicken and taro on low heat to allow the sauce to reduce and the seasoning to infuse into the chicken for about 20 minutes.
When the sauce thickens, add 4 small chili peppers and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, and season to taste.
Braise for an additional 5 minutes before turning off the heat. Arrange on a plate and garnish for a beautiful finish.
Note: When the sugar starts to turn brown, immediately reduce the heat, as cooking too long can make the sugar bitter.
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Finished product
The finished dish of braised chicken with fermented bean curd has a beautiful golden color, rich flavor, creamy and fatty texture, enticing the taste buds until the last bite.
You can enjoy this delicious dish with hot rice or pair it with bread, which will be absolutely wonderful!
Note:- The leftover fermented bean curd should be carefully covered and stored in a cool, dry place, avoiding direct sunlight and damp areas.
- When using, please use clean chopsticks or a spoon to take an appropriate amount, then cover it immediately to prevent the fermented bean curd from spoiling!
2. Braised chicken with galangal and lemongrass
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Preparation
10 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Braised chicken with galangal and lemongrass Serves 4
Chicken 1/2 chicken (about 700g) Lemongrass 3 stalks Galangal 1 root Chili 3 pieces Shallots 3 bulbs Vinegar A little Fish sauce 1 tablespoon Cooking oil 3 tablespoons Common spices A little (Salt/ sugar/ seasoning powder/ salt powder/ pepper)
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How to Prepare Ginger Lemongrass Chicken
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Prepare the Chicken
To eliminate the fishy smell of the chicken, dilute a little vinegar and salt with clean water in a large bowl. Soak the chicken in the mixture for about 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with water and let it drain.
Next, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, about the length of a finger.
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Prepare the Marinade Ingredients
Peel the shallots and slice them. Peel the ginger, julienne it, and soak in diluted saltwater.
Pound the lemongrass and chop it finely. Wash the chili and let it drain.
Tip: To keep the ginger white and avoid browning, soak it in diluted saltwater after cutting.
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Marinate the Chicken
Marinate the chicken with 2/3 of the ginger, 2/3 of the shallots, 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 2 teaspoons of seasoning, and 1 teaspoon of sugar.
Add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, mix well, and let it marinate for 20 minutes to absorb the flavors.
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Cook chicken
Place a pan on the stove over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, when the oil is hot, sauté the remaining shallots, ginger, and lemongrass.
Then add the chicken and stir-fry until the chicken is firm for about 5 minutes. When the chicken starts to firm up, add 100ml of water and 3 chili peppers.
Continue to cook for about 10 more minutes until the sauce thickens, the chicken is tender, and absorbs the seasoning evenly. Adjust seasoning to taste and turn off the heat.
Tip: Stir-frying the chicken first will help it render fat, firm up, and absorb the seasoning better.
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Final product
So our dish is complete. The chicken is very fragrant with ginger and lemongrass, sweet, and evenly infused with rich seasoning, served with white rice will be very delicious.
How to choose fresh, delicious chicken
- Choose chicken with characteristic shiny yellow skin, thin skin, smooth to the touch, not too lumpy, and with good elasticity.
- The meat inside the chicken should have a natural pinkish red color, not too pale or too dark, especially without bruises or clotted blood.
- If buying frozen chicken, closely observe the expiration date and check if the bag is intact.
How to clean chicken without odor
- If the chicken still has feathers, pluck them out thoroughly. You can use a knife or tweezers to pluck the feathers.
- Then mix vinegar with salt and rub it evenly over the piece of chicken or you can soak the chicken in that mixture for about 3 – 5 minutes and then rinse it thoroughly with water.
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You have just seen how to make the dish braised chicken with fermented tofu and lemongrass, which is unique, simple yet flavorful, nutritious, and very appealing to treat your family and friends. Wishing you success!
*Refer to images and recipes from the youtube channel Wife’s Kitchen and Delicious Dishes Every Day.
