[Thailand Recipes] Khao Man Gai - Thai-Style Chicken and Rice

I started with five recipes that I thought you might like — tom yum goong, pla goong (spicy shrimp salad), massaman curry, Khao Man Gai (Chicken and Rice), and a sticky rice with custard dessert — but I had no idea it would be such a close race!

The spicy shrimp salad was the clear winner at first, but then tom yum goong pulled ahead. Massaman curry and khao man gai then started gaining votes as the month went on and, for a while, it was a toss up between these three. But in the end, khao man gai pulled ahead and won by two votes! Talk about suspense! :)

So after khao man gai had finally emerged as the winner, I started working on the recipe. I actually already had a whole chicken in my freezer, just waiting for the day that I would make this dish! After thawing it, I boiled the chicken with a little salt and some cilantro roots to cook the chicken and make a simple chicken broth. If you don’t have cilantro roots, that’s okay, but if you can find them, they add a nice subtle flavor to the broth.

Once the chicken was cooked and broth was made, it was time to start on the rice. The rice that accompanies this dish is jasmine, but instead of cooking it with water, you use the chicken broth you just made. Then you add fried garlic, fresh ginger, cilantro roots (again, if you can find them), and some salt and/or ground white pepper to really boost the flavor.

But although the rice is more flavorful than plain jasmine rice, the real flavor of this dish comes from the dipping sauce. It’s made from a combination of Thai peppers, ginger, and garlic in a soybean paste based sauce and wow, it packs a punch. One spoonful of this spicy ginger sauce ladled on top of a piece of moist chicken sitting on a bed of garlicky, fatty rice… talk about awesome flavors! And then, just to round everything out, you make a simple soup of chicken broth and boiled gourd and slice some cucumbers to eat on the side.

Needless to say, the boyfriend and I really enjoyed our khao man gai, so we owe a big thank you to all of you for choosing this dish! And since our inaugural sidebar poll turned out so well, we’d like to continue this feature in the future. 

Thai-Style Chicken and Rice | Khao Man Gai | ข้าวมันไก่

Makes 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS
Chicken:
1 3-5 pound whole chicken
1 Tablespoon salt
4 cilantro roots, bruised
water to cover the chicken (~12 cups)
Rice:
2 cups jasmine rice, washed
chicken broth to cook the rice (~3 cups)
4 1" slices ginger
2 cilantro roots, bruised
2 Tablespoons chopped garlic
1/4 cup canola oil
Sauce:
1/4 cup soybean paste
2 Tablespoons palm sugar
3 Tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 Tablespoons thin soy sauce
2 Tablespoons white vinegar
4 red Thai chili peppers, chopped finely
3 Tablespoons ginger, chopped finely
1 Tablespoon garlic, chopped finely
2 Tablespoons water
Soup:
1 cup water
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup winter gourd, daikon, or chayote
1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
Accompaniments:
4-6 sprigs cilantro
1 cucumber, sliced

INSTRUCTIONS

To Make the Chicken and Broth:

Bring 10-12 cups of water to a boil in a large pot.
Add the salt, bruised cilantro roots, and whole chicken. Add more water as needed to cover the chicken and then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Simmer until the chicken is cooked through (~30-45 minutes depending on its size).
Take the chicken out and let rest before de-boneing it and slicing it into pieces.
Strain the chicken broth and then save for later use in the rice and soup.

To Make the Rice:

Fry the chopped garlic in 1/4 cup canola oil. Save the oil for use in different recipes.
Wash the jasmine rice in water until the water runs clear.
Place the fried garlic, ginger, and bruised cilantro roots on top of the rice. You can add additional salt if needed (taste the chicken broth) or ground white pepper if desired.
Add enough chicken broth to cook your rice with (this depends on the freshness of your rice, I used ~3 cups). Cook in your usual fashion until the rice is done.

To Make the Dipping Sauce:

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Taste and adjust as needed.

To Make the Soup:
Slice the chayote, winter gourd, or daikon radish into bite-sized pieces.
Heat equal amounts of your chicken broth and water over medium heat.
Add the chopped vegetable and cook until tender but done (~10 minutes was perfect for my chayote pieces). Taste and add fish sauce if needed. Top with coarsely chopped cilantro.

To Serve:
Place a scoop of the rice on a plate and arrange the sliced chicken beside it.
Serve with the soup, a bowl of the ginger-chili dipping sauce, some cucumber slices, and a sprig of cilantro on the side. Enjoy!

This recipe and image sources are referred in website: Rachelcooksthai.com.Thanks so much!