Gang pit
- 600 GRAM CHICKEN BREAST, in pieces
- 200 GRAM STRING BEANS, sliced
- 1 EGGPLANT, cut in pieces
- 2 TBSP FISH SAUCE
- 1 TBSP SUGAR
- 1 TBSP RED CURRY PASTE
- 1 CUP COCONUT MILK
- 4 LIME LEAVES
- 1/2 BUNCH OF GREEN ONIONS, chopped
- HANDFUL BASIL LEAVES, cut
Stir fry the curry paste for 2 minutes in oil; add the chicken and stir fry 3 minutes; add the fish sauce and the sugar and heat one minute. Now add the eggplant, coconut milk, beans and lime leaves, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the onions and the basil leaves, stir and serve with rice.
This is a Laotian dish. 2 December is National Day in Laos. On this day in 1975, King Savang Vattana was forced to abdicate by the Pathet Lao with support of Vietnam and the Soviet Union. Click on culinary calendar for more links between cooking and history.
Soak the beans overnight and cook them for 1 hour (adapt the cooking time if you use other beans); puree them with half a teaspoon salt. Cook the rice 20 minutes, drain. To wrap this, Vietnamese use banana leaves, but no matter how long I looked for them, there were none around in my cold home village, so I used baking paper instead - which worked out fine. Spread half of the rice over a sheet of baking paper, add half of the beans on top (leave the edges free, so you can make a package with only rice on the outside). Add the leek and the pork, the remainder of the beans and close off with the rest of the rice. Fold the baking paper around this food mountain. If it is too big for your pans, make two cakes. Fold the paper around the rice cake and close it with rope. Put the package in a pan full of water and make sure the cake is entirely covered. Bring to the boil and cook the cake for 6 hours. Unwrap the cake and serve in slices.
This rice cake is served in Vietnam for (lunar) New Year, which they call Têt, and which is celebrated between mid January and mid February. On Worldcook's New Year page you will find New Year recipes from all over the world.
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