- 1 tablespoon walnut oil
- 3 baby leeks, cleaned and sliced
- 1 tablespoon chicken stock, broth
- 1 cup Jasmine rice, uncooked*
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
- 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk, light or regular
- Coarse salt or sea salt
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fish sauce (good-quality)
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce (low sodium)
- 1 teaspoon sugar, granulated
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 small sweet chile peppers (such as Banana and/or Cubanelle), sliced**
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 1/2 cup basil leaves, fresh, loosely-packed and torn
- Fresh lime wedges
-
It is important to wash the rice to remove any dust and excess starch. Place the rice in a colander or sieve and rinse the rice under running, cold water until the water is clear. Drain rice well.
-
In a medium sauce pan, saute the leeks in the walnut oil, until soft. Add the tablespoon of chicken broth and simmer until the broth has evaporated. Add the drained Jasmine rice, 3/4 cup chicken stock, coconut milk, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes.
-
Fluff rice with a fork; cover and let sit for 20 minutes.
-
In a small bowl, combine fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar, mix well to dissolve sugar; set aside.
-
Meanwhile, add peanut oil to a non-stick pan and heat. Add garlic and the chile peppers. Cook, stirring constantly, about 20 seconds. Remove from pan and set aside.
-
In the same pan, add chicken breasts and cook until nicely browned, flip and brown the other side reduce heat and cook until chicken is done, about 7 minutes. Add a little chicken broth to the pan, if necessary. Add the chiles and garlic back into the pan, with the soy sauce mixture and cook about 1 minute more to heat through, turning chicken several times to coat. Taste and finish off with a sprinkle of coarse sea salt, if needed. Add fresh basil and stir to combine.
-
Serve chicken over the coconut rice with fresh lime wedges. Chicken breasts may be sliced, and served over the rice if you prefer.
-
Makes 2 servings.
* You can find Jasmine Rice in most grocery stores in the rice section. If not, check at a local Asian or international market. Jasmine rice is originally from Thailand and is commonly used in Southeast Asian cooking. This is a long grain variety of rice that has a subtle floral aroma and a soft, sticky texture when cooked. The grains are shorter and thicker than basmati rice.
** You may use jalapeno chile peppers or a combination of red and green chile peppers.