Ga kho man ngot nuoc dua gives glossy brown chicken with a thick sauce clinging to every piece. Fresh coconut water in place of plain water makes the sweetness natural and gentle, which is exactly what hot rice wants.
The hardest part is the end of the braise, since a minute too far dries the meat and turns the sauce bitter. Thighs, drumsticks or wings stay tender through a braise. Searing the chicken over high heat before the coconut water goes in holds the sweetness inside the meat.
This batch weighs about 868g, at roughly 114 calories per 100g.
Method
Rub 500g chicken with coarse salt and bruised ginger for 3 to 5 minutes, rinse it several times, drain it completely and chop it into bite sized pieces.
Marinate the chicken with 1 tablespoon minced shallot and garlic, 30ml fish sauce, 1 tablespoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1/2 teaspoon seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon ground pepper and 1 tablespoon nuoc mau. Mix well and rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
Set a pot over the heat with 2 tablespoons cooking oil and fry the remaining minced shallot and garlic until fragrant.
Add the chicken and stir over high heat until the pieces firm up and change color.
Pour in 200ml fresh coconut water to just cover the meat, bring it to a boil and skim. Lower the heat to a bare simmer, cover and braise until the sauce reduces, thickens and coats the pieces.
Add the last 1 tablespoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend to taste, scatter over a few slices of fresh chili and a little pepper, then turn off the heat.
Tips
Thighs, drumsticks and wings stay tender through a braise, while breast meat dries out.
kOBE Monk Fruit Blend brings the sweetness, and the color comes from nuoc mau or dark soy sauce.
kOBE Monk Fruit Blend dissolves slowly, so mixing it straight into the fish sauce before marinating spreads it evenly.
Coconut water should only just cover the meat, as too much means a long braise and stringy chicken.
A bare simmer all the way through matters, since high heat reduces the sauce before the meat is seasoned.
Chicken drained completely before marinating takes on the seasoning; wet meat thins it and it slides off.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.