Saturday 28 June 2014

Chicken with Coconut Water (Ga ham voi dua tuoi) : AFF Indochina


The color of this dish is so blah. It is all brown and does not look attractive at all. Hence the shredded carrots and spring onion to perk it up a bit. The photo in the cookbook was no better. But one taste and you will proclaim that it is beautiful! 
What makes this dish so tasty is the caramelised coconut water. The original name in the cookbook is Chicken with Coconut Juice but I think Coconut Water is the more appropriate term (macam cikgu pulak). As I mentioned in my previous post, I used the packaged coconut water.


This is a very easy dish to prepare. Nothing fussy about it at all. You don't even have to marinate the chicken. All the sauce ingredients are mixed together beforehand. Once you have briefly stir fried the chicken, just pour in the sauce mix, wine and coconut water and simmer away.

As usual, the chicken released a lot of water and I had to remove the chicken pieces and continue simmering the sauce until it reduced and thickened. Then I returned the chicken into the wok and stirred to coat with the thick sauce. 


When I tasted the gravy, I was blown away. It was crazy good and I recommend that you make extra sauce so that there is enough to go around. Especially if your family members love gravy on their rice. Coconut water rawks!












Chicken with Coconut Water
Recipe source : Quick & Easy Vietnamese Home Cooking for Everyone (page 47)
(My notes in red)

Ingredients :
- 1 whole chicken or 4 chicken breasts (I hate breast and opted for 4 chicken legs)
- 3 tbsp olive oil (or any cooking oil)

Cooking sauce :
- 1 cup diced onions
- 1 tbsp each, soy sauce and chopped garlic
- 2 tbsp Maggi seasoning (I just used soya sauce)
- 2 tsp each salt and sugar (I omitted)
- 1 tsp black pepper

- 1/2 cup dry or sweet sherry wine (I use shiaoxing wine)
- 1 cup (8 oz/236ml) coconut water


Method :
1. Cut up whole chicken into 12 pieces.
2. Saute chicken in 3 tbsp olive oil until lightly browned.
3. Add cooking sauce ingredients and simmer covered for 10 minutes.
4. Pour in sherry wine and coconut water and simmer for another 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked and sauce is thick.

Note : If chicken bleeds a lot of water, remove the chicken once cooked and continue to simmer the liquids until it reduces and becomes thick.



I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest - Indochina hosted by Kelly Siew Cooks.



This post is also linked to Cook-Your-Books #13 hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours.

48 comments:

  1. If it's me cook it, sure turn out horrible looking...

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    Replies
    1. hah..hah...no lah, can't be that bad :)

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  2. okay mah the chicken looks good in brown to me, I mean not exactly brown la, the chicken is light brown and the onions glazed with the gravy are medium brown.. so you have got two tones of colors.. but if course the carrot and spring onion garnish make it looks even nicer and attractive.. well, even human need accessories right?? so does food, hehe!!

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    1. SK, brown food very difficult to photograph. So my hand itchy and I have to add something for more color.

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  3. coconut water or coconut juice surely adds to a very refreshing taste to the cooking.. not like coconut milk or santan we call it, which can make the whole dish so "jelak".. I like this recipe, and yes, now you made more gravy so it's great for more bowls of rice!! haha.. :p

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    1. Oh yes, must make more gravy or else everybody will be fighting for it!

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  4. Hmmmm...never had anything cooked with coconut water, just santan. I wonder what that tastes like - should be very fragrant and sweet.

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    1. Arthur, it taste sweet and had a special kind of fragrance. Very nice!

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  5. Hi Phong Hong, this chicken dish look very delicious, must have extra rice lah. LOL
    Thanks for sharing the recipe...I can smell the fragrant scent from here lah. :))

    Have a nice weekend.

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    1. Hi Amelia! I cooked one big pot of rice for you hah..hah...

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  6. Hi Phong Hong, another great recipe of yours using coconut water. What a delish dish! No need to look at the picture, just the name of the dish already know that this is very yummy and awesome. I am definitely going to try this dish of yours. Thanks for sharing Phong Hong. Do enjoy your weekend and warmest regards :)

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    1. Hi Ivy! Yes, please try this dish because I find that the coconut water makes it taste very special. So sad the weekend will be over soon :(

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  7. I am convinced, coconut water added into my shopping list!

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  8. Your dish looks so good.. I like your last photo.. Reminds me of mum's pork chop with garlic butter sauce.. The sauce looks exactly like yours.. I hate chicken breast too.. And I dont like Maggi seasoning, taste weird..

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    1. Aiya Louiz, I just bought a bottle of Maggi seasoning hah..hah...Haven't tried yet and if I find it weird, I'll have to find someone and give it away hah...hah....

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  9. Yet, another amazing creation from the 'Queen of Chicken Creation'...love the addition of the coconut water, Phong Hong. Yumm!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Elisabeth! I eat too much chicken hah..hah..

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  10. yes...may be I could try this for my dinner...I hate chicken breast...I will go for drumstick as well!

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    Replies
    1. Jozelyn, high 5! I will always attack drumsticks and thighs or wings. hee..hee,,,

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  11. Again, I am amazed. Coconut water?? Normal I'd just drink it. I had no idea you can actually cook with it!! WOW!

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    1. Diana, you must try cooking with coconut water. The flavor is amazing!

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  12. Sure looks good.

    Not a fan of chicken actually, but I actually love the colour of the onions because I loooove onions. Hahaha

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  13. Hi Phong Hong, for a split moment, I thought I've read your post on using coconut water ... but the pictures look different. Silly old me, realised different blog post of yours. Ok coconut water ...need to see if I could get this in supermarket to try out this dish.

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    1. Hi Karen! Confusing huh? hee..hee...Yes, if you can get coconut water, must try cooking with it.

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  14. Hahaha sure is damn difficult to photograph brown food. This recipe is interesting, I need to try cooking with coconut water next time!

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    1. Kelly, do try. It has a very unique taste that you will love for sure!

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  15. cikgu ini memang rajin, tarak visit 2 hari dekat sini sudah ada 2 posts :)

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    1. Hi Lena! I was trying to complete my AFF Vietnam posts hee...hee,,,

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  16. Replies
    1. Thanks, Chris! It was worth the effort :)

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  17. looks delicious, must give it try as I like with coconut heeheehee

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    Replies
    1. Jess, must try! It is very delicious.

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  18. Hi Phong Hong,
    Yeah, I never did like to photograph brown food, especially the fried ones!
    Cooking with coconut water sounds delicious, I have been meaning to cook one with pork, from a Vietnamese cookbook which I have, but no time-lah!
    Drooling at your chicken dish now! Did not have breakfast and it is lunch time now. I'm SO hungry!
    Thanks for linking, got to ransack my kitchen now for something to eat! :)

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    1. Hi Joyce! Hey, must not miss breakfast! Hope you had something good to eat :)

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  19. I bet the sauce must be delicious!!

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    1. Hayley, the sauce was plate licking good hah..hah...

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  20. Hi Phong Hong...I am drooling over this dish especially the sauce..

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    1. Cecilia, the sauce, I tell you, is super good!

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  21. Sounds good, never thought of using coconut water to cook, not that I cook a lot :P

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    1. Hi Jeannie, should you decide to cook hee..hee...try this dish! Easy but delicious!

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  22. You spruced it up nicely with the carrots. I am pretty impressed with Vietnamese cuisine after cooking it the past month, I think I've seen this recipe in my cookbook too, will give it a try soon too.

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    1. Thanks, Yen! I must cook more of the Vietnamese dishes in the cookbook!

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  23. Hi Phong Hong,

    I'm the gravy kind of person... Seeing what you said.... If I'm cooking this dish, I have to triple the amount of gravy :D

    Zoe

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    1. Hi Zoe! That means the juice of 1 whole coconut hee..hee...

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  24. Hi Phong Hong,
    when my eye is looking at the picture,my mouth start drooling,simply tempting!
    I think with this perfect Chicken with coconut water, you are entitle to call Vietnamese,hah...hah....

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    Replies
    1. Hi Aunty Young! Aiyo...me Vietnamese? hee..hee..I love Vietnamese food so why not, hor?

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