Khao Mun Gai is an absolute comfort food sold in every street corners in Thailand. Many recipes of chicken and rice have been recreated all over the world, but this is by far my go-to at home.
Repping Thailand in the Chicken and Rice Battle
Khao Mun Gai is an absolute comfort food sold in every street corners in Thailand. The idea of a chicken and rice dish is popular amongst many cuisines around the world especially in Asia. Hainanese chicken rice is also enjoyed by many communities in the Southeast. My husband and I both LOVE the famous Hainanese Chicken Rice. Though, the Thai version holds a special place in our hearts. All credits to the sauce.
Being in London, we have plenty of options to choose from when it comes to Hainanese chicken rice. Some the few that we love are Three Uncles and Cafe TPT. But when it comes to the rendition of chicken and rice dish I grew up eating in Bangkok, there really isn’t a place to go to. Therefore, I was ever more determined to perfect this recipe.
Khao Mun Gai Recipe
Flavour the chicken ahead of time
I learned this technique of flavouring the chicken from Samin Nosrat, the author of Salt Fat Acid Heat. During one of her appearances in Saturday Kitchen, he said that flavouring the meat ahead of time is very important for the flavours to penetrate. I did just that.
In this recipe, I use chicken legs and salt them about 3 hours ahead of cooking and leave it in the fridge. Just before cooking, rather than using water to wash off the excess salt, I used Shaoxing rice wine instead which gives the chicken the wonderful aroma.
Cooking the chicken – steam or boil?
I’ve seen recipes that boils and recipes that steams. But personally, I’ve tried both and prefers the texture and flavour of a steamed chicken. Obviously, boiling the chicken is simpler to make especially if you are making big portions. Boiling will also shorten the time it takes the chicken to cook so the recipe works either way.
However, if you looking to get the most out of this humble dish then I highly recommend you give steaming a go as this allows for maximum retention of that chicken-y flavour.
Khao Mun Gai Rice
In a dish as simple as chicken served with rice, you can’t deny that the TLC that goes into making the rice has to match that of chicken. I would argue that the most important element of chicken and rice is actually the rice. I can eat bowls of this simply dressed with the sauce. Here, I use Thai Jasmine rice which is known for its beautiful fragrance.
I fry the rice in chicken fat infused with garlic and ginger prior to boiling the rice in chicken stock. While, you may be tempted to do otherwise, you shouldn’t.
Khao Mun Gai Sauce
The sauce is what makes it the Thai Chicken Rice. You will not see this sauce served with chicken rice anywhere else outside Thailand. It is packed full of flavour using very few ingredients. While we can get various versions of chicken and rice dish anywhere in London, my husband prefers that I make this at home because of the sauce. So you should try it too!
In the recipe, the dark colour of the sauce is from the addition of the sweet dark soy sauce. This gives it a nice rounded sweet flavour which balances out the saltiness from the fermented soy beans. If you’re unsure on selecting the right soy sauce for the recipe, I have written a short guide on the different types of soy sauces.
Khao Mun Gai – Thai Chicken Rice
Equipment
- 1 Rice cooker
Ingredients
Khao Mun Gai Sauce
- 1 tbsp garlic, chopped
- 1 tbsp red chilli, chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger, chopped
- 2 tbsp fermented soy beans
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ lime juice of a lime or lemon
- 1 tsp sweet dark soy sauce
- 3 tbsp chicken broth
Chicken
- 2 legs chicken extra fat trimmed
- 2 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp shaoxing rice wine
Rice and garnish
- 2 cups Thai jasmine rice
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 wedges ginger, peeled
- 20 g chicken fat, trimmed from the legs
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 bunch coriander
- ½ piece cucumber, sliced into rings
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken with salt for about 3-4 hours ahead of cooking time then leave it in the fridge.
- To cook rice, start by frying the trimmed chicken fat into a pan on medium heat. When the fat starts to render, add garlic and ginger to toast for another minute or two. Add the rice then mix until the each grains is coated with chicken fat. This only takes about 3 minutes.
- Transfer the rice into the rice cooker, then add the chicken broth. Cook the rice.
- To make the sauce, add the chopped garlic, ginger and red chilli into a bowl. Then add the sugar, fermented soy beans, sweet dark soy sauce, lime juice and a bit of chicken broth. Mix well and you're done!
- Remove the chicken from the fridge then wash off excess salt with shaoxing rice wine. Then steam the chicken for 45 minutes until beautifully cooked and tender.
- Serve with a garnish of coriander and cucumber alongside the sauce and fluffy rice.
Share your favourite recipes
I’d love to see the different variations of chicken and rice dish that you enjoy. Share in the comments below some of the versions you’ve enjoyed so far!
Did you make this recipe? Follow and tag me on @eatwithfish_. I look forward to seeing your creations. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the newsletter and email updates for the latest recipes.
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