Thailand - Evil Jungle Prince with Chicken (or with Mixed Vegetables)

Evil Jungle Prince with Chicken 

(or with Mixed Vegetables)

Ingredients

-       1/2 lb boneless chicken breast (or 1/2 lb mixed vegetables, see note below)

-       2 to 6 small red chile peppers

-       1/2 stalk fresh lemon grass

-       2 kaffir lime leaves

-       2 T oil

-       1/2 c coconut milk

-       1/2 teaspoon salt

-       fish sauce to taste (soy sauce for veggie version)

-       10 to 15 basil leaves

-       1 c chopped cabbage

Directions

-       Thinly cut chicken into 2-inch strips. (If doing veggie version, cut vegetables into thin strips.)

-       Grind together red chili peppers, lemon grass, and kaffir lime leaves in a food processor or pound in a mortar.

-       Heat oil to medium-high and saute pepper mixture for 3 minutes.

-       Stir in coconut milk and cook for 2 minutes.

-       Add chicken (or vegetables) and cook for 5 minutes or until cooked (same time for veggies).

-       Reduce heat to medium-low.

-       Stir in fish sauce (if using), salt, and basil.

-       Serve on a bed of chopped cabbage.

Makes 3 to 4 servings.

Note: For mixed vegetables, choose from among bell peppers, string beans, water chestnuts, tomatoes (small cherry tomatoes are best), bamboo shoots, miniature corn, asparagus, cucumbers, zucchini, Japanese eggplant, and mushrooms. I particularly like string beans or asparagus, a few cherry tomatoes, shredded (rather than sliced) bamboo shoots, miniature corn, and some straw mushrooms or slender (Japanese) eggplant.