Burma Super Star's Mint Chicken

Chicken with Mint

(Serves 3; or 4 as part of a larger meal)

1 pound ground chicken

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds

2 tablespoons sambal oelek (chile sauce)

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce or 1 teaspoon salt (we used sweet soy sauce)

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1/4 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons canola oil

6 to 8 small garlic cloves

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1/2 jalapeno or 2 Thai chilis, chopped

1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus extra sprigs for garnish (optional)

1/4 cup chopped mint

1. In a dry wok or skillet, toast the cumin seeds and mustard seeds until the cumin is fragrant and the mustard seeds start to pop, no more than 30 seconds. Transfer to a mortar with a pestle or a coffee grinder used for grinding spices and pulverize into a coarse powder.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the sambal, soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar. (If not using soy sauce, you may need a pinch more fish sauce.)

*note: we used sweet soy sauce since we didn't have dark soy sauce 

3. In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Tilt the wok so the oil pools to one side and add the garlic cloves. (This helps the garlic cloves stay submerged in oil so they fry more evenly.) Fry until light golden and softened, about 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to remove the garlic cloves. Leave the oil in the wok.

4. Heat the wok over high heat. When the oil is hot (but not smoking), add the minced garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for a few seconds and add the chicken. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, stir-fry the chicken briefly, then press the meat against the sides of the wok to increase the surface area and decrease how much the chicken steams. (If using a skillet, spread the chicken evenly across its base.) Water will start to pool in the center of the wok, but that’s okay — it will cook out. After a minute, give the wok a stir so the chicken pieces don’t stick together. Repeat this step until the chicken is light brown in places and pale in others, about 3 minutes depending on the wok and the burner strength.

5. Stir in the mustard-cumin blend, sambal mixture, fried garlic cloves, and Thai chilis. Stir constantly, until the liquid just lightly coats the meat. Mix in the chopped cilantro and mint. Serve with cilantro sprigs and lime wedges.

*re-season as needed, we ended up adding an extra 1-2 tablespoons of sweet soy sauce