Tangylicious!

Saturday night, my gal pal (and future roomie!) Kristin and I decided to cope with our mutual blahs by going out for a Thai feast. Among the items on the menu was something I had never tried before - Tamarind Chicken! It was so good (and so deliciously spicy) that I had to pass on the recipe to all of you.

Note: The chicken can be subbed with veggies or tofu.

Generally, Thai food is a mix of sweet, sour, and spicy, and this recipe is the epitome of this delectable description, although you can choose to make the dish mild (without chillies) and it will still be darkly wonderful and rich-tasting. (But we went for the super-spicy, of course!) Stir-fried with plenty of fresh shiitake mushrooms, this savory chicken dish will satisfy even the biggest of appetites.

INGREDIENTS:

* 4 chicken thighs, OR 2 chicken breasts, sliced into bite-size pieces (SERVES 2-3 people)
* 1 cup or more fresh or dried shiitake mushrooms, sliced (if using dried, soak in hot water for at least 3 hours)
* 2 thumb-size pieces galangal or ginger, sliced into matchstick-like pieces
* 3 cloves garlic
* handful fresh coriander
* 2 tsp. cornstarch powder dissolved in 3 Tbsp. regular soy sauce (or wheat-free soy sauce for gluten-free diets)
* 2-3 Tbsp. cooking sherry
* TAMARIND SAUCE:
* 2 tsp. tamarind paste (Note: if you can’t find this at Asian stores, look for it at an Indian food store)
* 1/3 cup water
* 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
* 2 Tbsp. sugar
* 1-3 fresh chillies, depending on how “hot” you want it

PREPARATION:

1. Place chicken pieces in a bowl and pour over the cornstarch and soy sauce mixture. Stir well to cover chicken with the sauce. Set near the stove to marinate while you make the tamarind sauce.
2. Make the tamarind sauce by mixing all sauce ingredients together in a cup (the tamarind paste and sugar should more or less dissolve in the water and fish sauce).
Also set near the stove.
3. Pour 2-3 Tbsp. oil into a wok or large frying pan. When hot, add the garlic, ginger, mushrooms, and chicken (together with the cornstarch/soy sauce marinade).
4. Stir-fry 1-2 minutes, or until the wok or pan becomes dry. At this point, add the sherry and continue stir-frying another 1-2 minutes.
5. When wok or pan becomes dry again, start adding the tamarind sauce 2-3 Tbsp. at a time, always when wok or pan becomes dry. Continue stir-frying in this way until all the sauce has been added and the chicken is cooked (8-10 minutes in total).
6. Remove from heat. Now, very importantly, you need to taste-test the dish and adjust the seasonings. What you’re looking for is a taste similar to “sweet & sour” - a pleasantly tangy flavor.

Usually you will have to add up to 1 Tbsp. fish sauce (instead of salt) and another Tbsp. or two of sugar in order to take the sour edge off the tamarind flavor (which is very strong, but excellent once it’s balanced with sweet and salty flavors!). But this is a very individual kind of preference - if you like “sour”, you may not need to add more sugar. Also, if the dish isn’t spicy enough for you, add a little more fresh chilli (or chilli sauce). If it turns out too salty, add 1-2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (or substitute lemon).
7. Serve with plenty of Thai jasmine rice and fresh coriander sprinkled over. ENJOY!!

(Thanks so much to our friends at about.com for supplying this recipe!)