Laksa Chicken with Laksa Leaves

Laksa leaves goes by many names: Vietnamese mint, Vietnamese cilantro, Cambodian mint.  If you attempt to find this delightfully fragrant herb in the Asian stores, look for “Rau Ram,” the Vietnamese name.  In Singapore (where I am from) and Malaysia, we call it Laksa leaves and you cannot eat Laksa noodles (a spicy noodle soup) without this herb—it just couldn’t taste the same. 

If you haven’t taste this herb before, you should.  This dark green herb with chestnut-like spots on the leaves is totally refreshing and wonderfully minty.  It lends tons of flavor to salads, soups, main dishes and barbecued meats.

Apart from flavor, health experts have given us good reasons to include this herb in our diet.  It can detoxify toxins in food, treat swellings, acne, indigestion, flatulence and stomachaches.

Of course, there is the questionable bit about using it as a sexual suppressant as Laksa leaves are found growing in the backyards of monastery but we will not go there. All I can say is that the flavor is worth any negativity.

I created this simple Laksa chicken dish—can be whipped up in 20 minutes and it’s so delicious, you will want it everyday.

Laksa Chicken

• · 2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• · 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (if you prefer a brighter red color, use Korean chili pepper)
• · 1 teaspoon of brown sugar
• · Salt and pepper to taste
• · 3 to 4 bunches of Laksa leaves, strip leaves and shred them coarsely
• · 2 to 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• · 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• · Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Marinate chicken slices in cayenne pepper, sugar, salt and pepper.
2. Coat wok with oil and add garlic and onion. Sautee until tender and nicely browned.
3. Add chicken and sautee until cook through.
4. Add more cayenne pepper, salt and sugar to taste (if desired).
5. Turn off heat. Toss in Laksa leaves and mix well. You do not want to overcook this delicate herb.
6. Dish it out and enjoy with rice.

Other delicious dishes to try:

Kung Pao Noodles : http://hubpages.com/hub/Kung-Pao-Noodles

Singapore Noodles: http://hubpages.com/hub/Singapore-Girl-Makes-Singapore-Noodles

Thai Green Curry :http://hubpages.com/hub/Why-Are-Thai-People-So-Skinny--Try-Thai-Green-Curry

Ginger Scallion Tilapia with Tofu: http://hubpages.com/hub/Ginger-Scallion-Tilapia-with-Tofu