I love spicy foods. Japanese, Indian, Mongolian, Chinese, Thai - yes please.
We spent around 4 months in 2007 travelling around Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Singapore, i developed a strong love for their dishes, especially the spicy ones!! That seems like a lifetime ago now.
Here are some of my photos from a Thai market in Chang Mai. Mmmmmm chillies amd chilli paste 🌶 🌶 🌶
Chilli and garlic infused chicken with a medley of vegetables Recipe
Ingredients
2 or 3 Chicken fillets or diced chicken
1 large red pepper
1 large onion
10 medium sized mushrooms
1 head of broccoli
3 decent sized carrots
2 red chillis or chilli paste
1 tin chopped tomatoes
vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves
Pasta
Cheddar cheese
STEP 1 - Peel and chop your carrots and boil them in hot water for about 8 minutes. Then add you brocolli and simmer for another 5 minutes. You can be multitasking here and getting on with steps 2 to 7 below while the carrots and broccoli are cooking away. Now is a good time to cook your pasta or rice as well for later.
STEP 2 - Chop your garlic finely or use a garlic press if you have one. Chop your red chillies finely. Use a big pan or Wok, as there is lots of veg going in here.
STEP 3 - Heat approx 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and fry your choppped chilli and garlic for 2 minutes.
STEP 4 - Those smells should be becoming very appetising now. Quickly add the chicken to the wok so that the garlic and chilli dont stick to the pan. If they are sticking, add a dash of water with the chicken ad mix it all around so that the chicken is covered in spicy goodness.
STEP 5 - Allow the chicken to simmer happily for around 5 or 6 minutes turning as required. Now make a little gap in the middle of the pan and add your peppers.
STEP 6 - Allow the peppers around 3 minutes and then make another little circle and drop in the onions and allow them to cook for another 3 minutes.
STEP 7 - At this stage I like to add around half of the chopped tomatoes.
STEP 8 - It's time now to add your mushrooms and a good pinch of salt and pepper for taste. Simmer for a further 3 minutes.
STEP 9 - Your carrots and brocoli from step 1 should now be ready to enter the fray. Drain the water and add them to the wok along with rest of the chopped tomatoes. Add some water to the empty tin to get the last bits of tomatoey goodness and also add some sauciness to your dish.
STEP 9 - Hopefully your pasta is ready by now. Add your dish to a bed of pasta and grate some cheese over the top and allow it to melt, before enjoying with a nice glass of red wine or a glass of cold water
Cooked too much?
No problem, put it aside for tomorrow's lunch or dinner or freeze it for another time.
