Panang Curry Paste Cauliflower Fish Ball Chicken Stir Fry (燉咖哩醬椰菜花魚蛋炒鷄, Dan6 Gaa3 Lei1 Zoeng3 Je4 Coi3 Faa1 Jyu4 Daan6 Caau2 Gai1)

This dish uses Panang curry paste as the basis for the flavoring for this dish in a similar manner as Doubanjiang (spicy broad bean paste). The technique to make these dishes is to first stir fry the Doubanjiang and then add the meat, stir frying the combination together to combine the flavors. The same technique is used to make this curry dish, using a (small) can of Panang curry paste. This technique actually works since when making a dish using curry paste, the curry paste is first stir fried to bring out the flavors before adding the next ingredients. In addition to the chicken used in this dish, I used prepared fish balls that were available at my local Asian market, which is a classic combination of flavors.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 lb.	500 g.	Fish balls (魚蛋, jyu4 daan6)
¾ lb.	375 g.	Chicken thigh (鷄髀, gai1 bei2) or breast meat (雞胸肉, gai1 hung1 juk6), cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Baking soda (蘇打粉, sou1 daa2 fan2)
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), crushed in a garlic press
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk1 fan2)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi2 sin1 zoeng3)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)
1	1	Head cauliflower (椰菜花, je4 coi3 faa1), cut into individual florets
1	1	Onion (洋蔥, joeng4 cung1), halved and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces
1-2	1-2	Fresh green chili peppers (綠辣椒, luk6 laat6 ziu1), cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces; optional and to taste
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), crushed in a garlic press
		Oil for cooking

Sauce Ingredients

1	1	One 4 oz. (114 g.) can Maesri brand Panang Curry Paste (燉咖哩醬, dan6 gaa3 lei1 zoeng3) or equivalent
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi2 sin1 zoeng3)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)
2 tsp.	10 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk1 fan2)
4 tsp.	20 ml.	Water

Equipment

		Garlic press
14 in.	35.5 cm.	Wok or pan

Preparation Instructions

Maesri Brand Panang Curry Paste
(燉咖哩醬, dan⁶ gaa³ lei¹ zoeng³)

1. If using frozen fish balls, thaw in a covered container overnight in the refrigerator. Take the fish balls out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
2. Prepare the chicken thigh or breast meat by removing any bones, excess fat, and skin. Cut the chicken into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces and place into a bowl. Add baking soda to the bowl and fill with cold water to cover the chicken. Mix the chicken in the baking soda solution, allow to tenderize for at least 15 minutes, and then drain and wash the baking soda from the meat. The baking soda can be omitted but results in the tender meat experienced in restaurant dishes.
3. Marinate the chicken in a covered container for at least one hour or overnight in the refrigerator with the ginger and garlic crushed in a garlic press, corn starch, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. If marinating the chicken overnight, take it out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
4. Wash and cut the head of cauliflower into individual florets.
5. Remove the tough outer skin and cut the onion in half. Cut 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces from each onion half.
6. Wash and cut the fresh green chili peppers into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces. The use of green chili peppers is optional and the amount is to taste, so feel free to increase or decrease the amount.
7. Crush the ginger and garlic in a garlic press and put into a small bowl.
8. Open the can of Maesri brand Panang Curry Paste or equivalent.
9. Prepare and mix the sauce in a small bowl: add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. In another small bowl, prepare the corn starch slurry by mixing the corn starch and water together.

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat a wok or pan over high heat before adding oil. Add the Maesri brand Panang Curry Paste, or equivalent, to the wok and stir fry the paste until fragrant before adding the chicken. Stir fry the curry paste and chicken together. If you need to cook the chicken in batches, divide the curry paste into the expected number of batches (i.e. two batches means one-half a can of curry paste per batch of chicken). Transfer the chicken to a bowl.
2. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the fish balls. Stir fry the fish balls and then transfer to the bowl with the chicken.
3. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the onion. Stir fry the onion and then transfer to the bowl with the chicken.
4. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the green chili peppers. Stir fry the chili peppers and then transfer to the bowl with the chicken.
5. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the cauliflower. Add some liquid (water, stock, or Shaoxing wine) to facilitate heat transfer and stir fry to brown the cauliflower. Add the bowl with the ginger and garlic mixture to the wok, and then some oil to the mixture. Quickly stir fry all the ingredients until the ginger and garlic become fragrant. Add the contents of the bowl with the chicken back into the wok, and stir fry all the ingredients together.
6. Add the sauce ingredients to the wok and stir fry the ingredients together. If more sauce is desired, add some liquid (stock or water) to the wok. Add the corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce and mix all the ingredients together. Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish, and serve with Clay Pot Rice (煲仔飯, Bou¹ Zai² Faan⁶) or steamed rice.