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Ga nuong com lam (lemongrass chicken with bamboo rice)
Gà nướng cơm lam: Central Highlands grilled chicken with sticky rice cooked in bamboo
Up in the Central Highlands, around Kon Tum, Pleiku and Buôn Ma Thuột, roadside grills and village homestays serve this pair: chicken marinated in lemongrass and chilli, grilled slowly over charcoal, and cơm lam, sticky rice cooked inside green bamboo tubes laid in the fire. Splitting the charred bamboo reveals a cylinder of rice wrapped in a thin, fragrant skin of bamboo membrane. Both are eaten with the hands and dipped in salt, pepper and lime or a crushed peanut and sesame salt. Without fresh bamboo, rolling the rice in banana-leaf parcels gives a very similar result. Highland rice wine (rượu cần) is the usual drink, but cold jasmine tea goes just as well and is alcohol-free. Chef's tip: brush on the honey only in the last few minutes of grilling so it glazes without burning.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 2 ¼ lb bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticksskin on
- 3 stalks lemongrassfinely chopped
- 4 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 2 red chillifinely chopped
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp honey
For the rice
- 10 ½ oz glutinous (sticky) ricesoaked 4 hours or overnight
- ½ cup coconut milk (optional)
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 banana leavespieces about 25 x 30 cm, or 2–3 green bamboo tubes
For the dipping salt
- 1 ⅜ oz roasted peanuts
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 limein wedges
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Soak 10 ½ oz glutinous (sticky) rice in cold water for at least 4 hours or overnight; this soaking is not included in the times. Drain well.
Step 2: Slash the thickest parts of 2 ¼ lb bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks twice to the bone. Rub with 3 stalks lemongrass, 4 cloves garlic, 2 red chilli, 2 tbsp fish sauce, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp ground black pepper and 2 tbsp vegetable oil, and leave for at least 15 minutes, or overnight in the fridge.
15 minStep 3: Mix the drained rice with ½ cup coconut milk and ½ tsp salt. Soften 4 banana leaves in hot water, then roll a quarter of the rice in each leaf into a firm 4 cm-wide log and tie the ends with string. If you have bamboo tubes, pack them two-thirds full, top up with water to just cover and plug with a twist of banana leaf.
Step 4: Steam the banana-leaf logs over boiling water for 30–35 minutes until the rice is glossy and tender, or lay bamboo tubes at the edge of the coals and turn them for 35–40 minutes until the outside is charred.
35 minStep 5: Meanwhile, grill the chicken over medium coals or under a medium grill, 12–15 cm from the heat, turning every 5 minutes, for 25–30 minutes. Move it to a cooler part of the grill if the skin darkens too fast.
28 minStep 6: Brush 2 tbsp honey over the chicken for the last 3–4 minutes and turn until glazed. Common mistake: adding honey at the start; the sugar burns black long before the meat is cooked.
4 minStep 7: Check that the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F/165 °F and the juices run clear, then rest it for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 8: Pound 1 ⅜ oz roasted peanuts, 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar to a coarse powder and put it in small dishes with 1 lime.
Step 9: Char the steamed rice logs briefly on the grill if you like, then unwrap and cut them into thick rounds; split bamboo tubes lengthways with a heavy knife. Serve with the chicken and the dipping salt.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 690 kcal
- Protein
- 44 g
- Carbs
- 66 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ga nuong com lam (lemongrass chicken with bamboo rice) take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of red chilli?
- Green chilli, same amount (same heat, greener taste).
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