Here’s a recipe for the ginger lovers of the world! Golden fried chicken cubes are topped with crunchy fried ginger and tossed in a rich savory sauce. With steamed jasmine rice, this dish is a perfect quick and easy meal.

Thai Fried Chicken with Crunchy Fried Ginger (serves 2 or 3)

• 1 lb of chicken breast, cut into roughly ½ inch dice
• 3 cloves of garlic, smashed flat with the side of your knife
• ½ lb of ginger, finely julienned (this recipe calls for a lot of ginger – don’t be alarmed!)
• 1 1/2 Tbls of oyster sauce
• 1 Tbls of fish sauce
• 1 Tbls of soy sauce
• 2 Tbls of palm sugar (substitute white sugar or golden sugar, if you can’t find palm sugar)
• A pinch of MSG
• Enough vegetable oil to deep fry the chicken (a couple of cups should do it)

1. Heat the oil to medium and when hot toss in the julienned ginger strips and fry until crisped, without stirring (they will get too clumped together if you stir too early. Once it has stopped bubbling and is starting to brown, you can stir a little bit. Continue to cook until completely crunchy and golden brown, and then remove from the oil and reserve. It should only take a minute or 2. Make sure to watch carefully, as these small strips of ginger can burn easily if left unattended for only a moment.
2. Raise the heat to high, and let the oil heat for a minute or so, and then add in the chicken dice. Cook until golden brown and cooked through, a couple of minutes, depending on the size of the dice.
3. Remove the chicken from the hot oil.
4. Take a Tbls or 2 of the oil and add it to another wok or fry pan heating over medium, and when hot, add in the smashed garlic, cooking, stirring, until fragrant and golden, about 20-30 seconds – and then add in the soy sauce, the oyster sauce, the MSG (if using), the fish sauce, the sugar and about 2 Tbls of water.
5. Let it come to a simmer and thicken slightly, and then add in the chicken and ginger, stirring to coat completely.
6. Serve with steamed jasmine rice and with sliced raw vegetables. Common accompaniments include sliced cucumbers, lettuce, sliced cabbage and yard long beans.

Fried or meaty Thai food is often served with a plate of accompanying raw vegetables, to offset the richness of the main dish. It makes a nice contrast.