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Nutritional Guidelines (per serving) | |
---|---|
927 | Calories |
43g | Fat |
60g | Carbs |
76g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 4 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 927 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 43g | 55% |
Saturated Fat 14g | 69% |
Cholesterol 216mg | 72% |
Sodium 1639mg | 71% |
Total Carbohydrate 60g | 22% |
Dietary Fiber 7g | 26% |
Protein 76g | |
Calcium 221mg | 17% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
This recipe for Thai mango chicken tastes like a deep-fried dish but is much easier to make, plus lower in calories and fat. Slices of flour-dusted chicken are pan-fried then simmered in a tangy mango sauce. Fresh, ripe mango works best in this recipe since it adds the best flavor and color. The taste is well worth the effort.
This dish works equally well for a family meal or when entertaining. Serve with freshly cooked Thai jasmine rice and a simple vegetable side dish like Thai cucumber salad or stir-fried bok choy.
Ingredients
- For the Mango Sauce:
- 2 mangos (fresh, ripe, fruit peeled and sliced from the pit)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 makrut lime leaves (cut into slivers with scissors, with stem and central vein discarded)
- 1 red chili (seeded and diced)
- 1 thumb-size piece galangal (or ginger, sliced)
- 1/2 lime (juiced)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- For the Chicken:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 to 3 chicken breasts (cut into 2-inch-long pieces; or chicken thighs)
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1/2 to 1 mango (cut into chunks)
- 3 to 4 tablespoons coconut milk (or water)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
Steps to Make It
Note: while there are multiple steps to this recipe, this mango chicken dish is broken down into workable categories to help you better plan for preparation and cooking.
Make the Mango Sauce
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Gather the ingredients.
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Place the mango, garlic, makrut lime leaves, chili, galangal, lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and turmeric in a food processor or blender. Process well until smooth.
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Taste the sauce. The goal is to reach a balance of sweet, sour, spicy, and salty. Add more sugar if you find the sauce too sour (this will depend on the sweetness of your mangoes). If not spicy enough, add more chili. If not salty/flavorful enough, add more fish sauce. If too salty or too sweet, add more lime juice. Set aside.
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Make the Chicken and Assemble
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Gather the ingredients.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the chicken pieces and turn or gently stir them to coat.
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Heat a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil, then begin frying the chicken pieces, 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until light golden brown and cooked through.
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Remove chicken from the pan and set on a paper towel.
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Clean out the wok/frying pan. Set over medium-high heat and add the mango sauce plus the red bell pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer (medium to low heat).
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If sauce becomes too thick, add 3 to 4 tablespoons coconut milk or water. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes, or until the pepper has softened slightly but still retains some crispness.
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Add the fried chicken pieces, gently stirring them into the sauce. If desired, add chunks of mango. Simmer briefly, just until everything is hot.
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Do a final taste test for salt, tasting the sauce together with the chicken. Add a little more fish sauce or chili if desired.
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Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot topped with cilantro.
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Recipe Variations
- Fresh mango works best, but you can substitute 2 cups frozen or canned mango.
- 1 teaspoon chili sauce or 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed chili can be substituted for the fresh chili.
- If you don't have rice vinegar, use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- If you don't have makrut lime leaves, use the finely grated zest of 1 lime.
- Use rice flour in place of the all-purpose flour to make the recipe gluten-free.
Do You Need to Peel a Mango Before Eating It?
Mangoes are peeled before eating because the peel has a bitter, unpleasant taste. They may also cause an allergic reaction in some people because of the chemical urushiol, the same chemical in poison ivy.
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