Kampong Chicken & Argyi Leaf with Bentong Ginger
By Annie Yang, Dine Inn Host
I used to work as a Traditional Chinese Medicine nurse, and my interest in herbs pushed me to cook healthy meals and use more natural herbs. Packed with a healthy dose of Bentong ginger and argyi leaf (mugwort), I hope my dish can help you recharge!
The Bentong ginger, the star of this dish, has an excellent texture and offers a spicy edge without the aftertaste of old ginger. It gives the dish an exhilarating boost of flavour, and it’s also known to remove ‘bad wind’ from the body. Do note that it can cost up to three times more but it is definitely worth the price. If you are replacing with regular ginger, remember to use up to 1½ times more depending on taste.
Ingredients
10 pieces kampong chicken thigh (You can also use regular chicken.)
30 pieces fresh Argyi leaf (sliced)
2 pieces red chilli (deseeded and sliced)
A.
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon Bentong ginger powder (You can substitute with ginger powder.)
1 teaspoon corn flour
1 tablespoon sesame oil
B.
1 big piece of fresh Bentong ginger (finely chopped)
6 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
3 small onion (finely chopped)
C.
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
5 pieces rock sugar
2 tablespoons Hua Diao Wine
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Note: Do not add too much chilli, as the Bentong Ginger is spicy enough.
Directions
1. Chop the chicken thighs into small chunks and marinate with A (sea salt, bentong ginger powder, corn flour, sesame oil) and chill in the fridge until ready to cook. (Marinate for 2 to 5 hours for best results.)
2. Pan-fry the chicken over medium-high heat until the skin turns golden brown. Turn over and cook until both sides are golden brown, then remove the chicken and set aside.
Note: To make the dish healthier, you can drain some of the chicken fat from the pan at this point.
3. Use the leftover chicken oil to cook B (bentong ginger, garlic, small onions), over a medium-high heat until fragrant, then add the argyi leaf and stir-fry for 1 minute.
4. Add the chicken to the pan and mix well. Add in C (oyster sauce, rock sugar, hua diao wine, sesame oil) stir-fry and mix well.
5. Cover to simmer until chicken is cooked through. Open to stir and check the doneness every 2 minutes. (Do not add any water.)
6. Add in red chilli, stir well, and serve hot.
If you would like to check out more of Yang’s dishes, she hosts guests through the Dine Inn platform.
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