Preparation
20 minutes
Cooking
30 minutes
Difficulty
Easy
Braised chicken with vegetables is a braised dish that is delicious, attractive, and very good for health, which you should prioritize choosing for your family’s meal menu! Check out the recipe from the Into the kitchen section of TasteVN to make this delicious dish.
Ingredients for Braised Chicken with Vegetables For 3 people
Chicken thigh meat 400 gr Dried shiitake mushrooms 50 gr (dried) Boiled bamboo shoots 100 gr Lotus root 1/2 root Carrot 1/2 root Onion 1/2 root Fresh coconut water 1 liter Chili 2 pieces Lemongrass 3 stalks Green onions a little Minced garlic 1 tablespoon Minced shallots 1 tablespoon Chili powder 1 teaspoon Annatto oil 2 teaspoons Sesame oil 1 teaspoon Soy sauce 3 tablespoons White wine 50 ml Common spices a little (sugar/ salt/ seasoning powder)
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh chicken meat
- Good chicken will have a bright yellow color, thin skin, a smooth feel, and a certain degree of elasticity. The meat inside should have a natural pink-red color, especially the chicken meat should not have bruises or blood clots.
- Avoid buying chicken with a pale color, whitish skin, rough texture, and a foul smell. This may indicate that the chicken has been stored for too long or that it was dead before being processed.
- For this dish, it is recommended to choose the chicken thigh meat for better flavor.
How to choose good boiled bamboo shoots
- Choose fresh bamboo shoots, with a rough shape, with uniform large and small segments, straight, crispy but tender.
- Avoid choosing overly large bamboo shoots, with dark brown color, bruises, and unpleasant smells. This may indicate that they are spoiled or have been stored for too long.
- You can buy pre-boiled bamboo shoots available at markets or buy them home to process and boil yourself.
See details: How to choose good bamboo shoots without bitterness
How to choose fresh carrots
- Choose carrots that are moderately long and slender, bright orange color, smooth skin, shiny, with green tops and leaves, not bruised, and firm when pressed.
- Avoid choosing overly large carrots, with pale colors, wilting, wrinkled skin, and cracks, which feel soft when pressed. These carrots have been stored for too long and are no longer fresh.
See details: How to choose fresh carrots
How to choose good dried shiitake mushrooms
- You should choose firm mushrooms that are not broken, bright in color, and free from white mold spots. Choose reputable suppliers to ensure safe purchases of dried mushrooms.
- Avoid buying dried shiitake mushrooms of unclear origin and those with unpleasant odors.
See details: How to choose good shiitake mushrooms
How to choose good fresh lotus roots
- You should check and choose whole lotus roots, light yellow in color, with larger air holes indicating more water content, which will taste better.
- Avoid selecting roots that are too large, have a rough surface, or are overly white in color. This may indicate they have been soaked in chemicals or are old and not tasty anymore.
How to prepare Braised Chicken with Vegetables
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Prepare the chicken
After purchasing the chicken, rub it with salt and then rinse it with water, cutting it into small, bite-sized pieces.
How to prepare clean chicken without odor
- Wash the chicken, rub it with ginger and salt or use lemon to eliminate any unpleasant smell.
- Next, use white wine or cooking wine to wash the chicken again, removing any remaining odors, and rinse it with clean water.
See details: The simplest tips to eliminate the odor of chicken and duck when cooking
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Prepare other ingredients
Bamboo shoots bought are soaked, washed clean, cut vertically into long, thin triangular pieces, with a thickness of 1/3 of a finger.
Carrots and onions are peeled and washed clean. Then carrots are cut similarly to bamboo shoots, onions are cut into wedges.
Lotus root is washed clean, cut in half vertically, then cut crosswise into pieces with a thickness of 1/2 of a finger and soaked in cold water.
Shiitake mushrooms are washed clean, trimmed the stems, then boiled the mushrooms with a little seasoning. After that, remove and cut in half.
Lemongrass and chili are washed clean, smashed. Then cut the lemongrass in half.
Green onions are trimmed, washed clean, and cut into pieces about 1 finger length.
How to quickly and properly prepare shiitake mushrooms
- Soak the mushrooms in water for about 1 – 2 hours, then rinse with clean water, and drain before cooking. To make the mushrooms bloom faster, you can soak them in warm water at 60 – 80 degrees Celsius, and after 7 – 10 minutes, the mushrooms will bloom evenly.
- Or you can quickly rinse the mushrooms with clean water, then boil them in a pot of boiling water for about 3 – 5 minutes, drain, and they are ready to be cooked.
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Marinate the chicken
Marinate the chicken with 1 teaspoon of chili powder, 1.5 teaspoons of seasoning, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of minced shallots, minced garlic, and 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, stirring well for the chicken to absorb the spices.
Tip: Marinate the chicken with soy sauce for a nice color and better aroma.
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Stew the chicken
Add 2 teaspoons of cooking oil to a hot pan on the stove, add crushed lemongrass and sauté until fragrant, then add the marinated chicken and gently stir for the chicken to become fragrant. When the chicken is fragrant and firm, add lotus root, carrots, and bamboo shoots, and stir well.
Then add enough fresh coconut water to cover the chicken and vegetables, simmer on low heat until boiling, and when the chicken is tender, add shiitake mushrooms and chili, and stew for 3 minutes.
When the water thickens and the mushrooms are soft, add onions and green onions, and gently stir, then add 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and turn off the heat to serve.
Tip:
- Sauté the chicken until firm to absorb the spices and not become mushy.
- Add shiitake mushrooms to stew for a short time to prevent them from becoming salty.
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Final Product
The dish of braised chicken with vegetables is complete, featuring the eye-catching colors of lotus roots, onions, bamboo shoots, and the brownish-yellow of the chicken, along with the spicy aroma of chili combined with the slight pungency of onion.
The chicken is tender when eaten, not chewy, with crispy onions, and the rich flavor of shiitake mushrooms and the creaminess of lotus roots. It pairs wonderfully with white rice.
See more:
This article introduces you to how to make delicious and nutritious braised chicken with vegetables simply at home. Wishing you success in referring to and preparing this delicious dish!
*Source of the recipe and images from the YouTube channel Mon Ngon Moi Ngay
