Photograph of the finished Chicken Steamed with Lemon Basil

Vietnam · Gà hấp lá é

Chicken Steamed with Lemon Basil

45 min Hands-on time + 30 min waiting
EasyDifficulty
6 stepsSteps
Serves 4 Amounts follow along 4

What to get ready

  • Photograph of Chicken breast Chicken breast 3.7 lb
  • Photograph of Lemon basil leaves Lemon basil leaves 7.1 oz
  • Photograph of Lemongrass Lemongrass 4.2 oz
  • Photograph of Green bird's eye chillies Green bird's eye chillies 16
  • Photograph of Coarse salt Coarse salt 2.1 oz
  • Photograph of Ginger Ginger 3.5 oz
  • Photograph of Shallots Shallots 1.6
  • Photograph of Lime Lime 4
  • Photograph of Black pepper Black pepper 0.6 oz
  • Photograph of Steamed rice Steamed rice 1.8 lb

Method

  1. 1 Marinate the chopped chicken pieces with coarse salt, minced lemongrass, shallots, and ginger for 30 minutes.
  2. 2 Line the bottom of the steamer with a layer of crushed lemongrass and half a basil leaf.
  3. 3 Arrange the chicken pieces on the steamer and steam over medium heat for 25 minutes until the meat is cooked through and the bone is tender.
  4. 4 Add the remaining basil leaves during the last 60 seconds, then turn off the heat immediately.
  5. 5 The leaves of the *Euphorbia hirta* plant lose their aroma very quickly when exposed to heat for too long; initially, they only retain a mild, pungent taste.
  6. 6 Crush the Thai chili peppers with salt and squeeze in some lemon juice to make a dipping sauce, then serve hot.

With an appliance

  • Pressure cooker 35 min

    Replace steps 3–4: steam the chicken at low pressure for 15 minutes, then release the pressure naturally for 8 minutes, open the lid and steam the remaining basil leaves without pressure for 60 seconds; steps 1–2 and 5–6 remain unchanged.

Start cooking