“I’ve kept everything that’s quintessential about this Pacific staple – but I’ve replaced the usually high sodium levels with a variety of sauces that keep the flavour up and the salt down. This one is great for a picnic; a cold dish on a hot day.” – Ganesh
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
- 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- vegetable oil
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 4 tbsp white vinegar
- 300g vermicelli noodles
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups frozen mixed veg
- 2 cups chopped Asian greens
- salt
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 4 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
- 2 tsp cornflour
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup chopped spring onion
- 1–2 limes, sliced
METHOD:
- Place chicken in a bowl and add a little oil along with coconut milk, garlic powder, ½ cup soy sauce and white vinegar. Leave to marinate for at least for 30 minutes, while you prepare the vegetables.
- Get a grill hot! Grill the chicken, turning often, and get it to the point where it has just slightly burnt edges and is cooked through. Remove and set aside, covered, to rest.
- Rehydrate the vermicelli noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain into a colander and set it in a bowl of room-temperature water to rest.
- Heat a little oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add onion and garlic and fry, stirring regularly, till they go golden brown. Add mixed veg and Asian greens, season with a pinch of salt and the white pepper, and fry for 2 minutes over a high heat. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a medium-sized pot, heat 1 teaspoon oil over a medium heat. Add the rest of the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and Chinese cooking wine. Simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add vermicelli noodles to the sauce and mix well. Now add cooked vegetables to the sauce and mix well again. Add water if the sauce is too thick; you want a little gravy.
- Dissolve the cornflour in 2 tablespooons of the water and add it to the mix. It will thicken the sauce. Check the seasoning again. If it needs a little more salt, add it.
- Garnish the noodles with spring onion and serve with the chicken alongside and garnished with slices of lime.
‘Eat Well For Less New Zealand’ by Michael Van de Elzen and Ganesh Raj, published by Random House NZ. RRP $35
