Kai phat khing ไก่ผัดขิง, a popular dish in both Thailand and Laos, is based on chicken (“kai”) stir-fried with vegetables such as mushrooms and bell peppers.
The defining ingredient is sliced ginger (“khing”).
Chinese immigrants introduced ginger to Thailand through Chinese food in Thailand, and this dish is typical of the Taejew Chinese group, named after one of the Chinese dialects, the largest Chinese group in Thailand.
Other important ingredients are soy sauce and onions.
Like many other Thai dishes, it’s served with jasmine rice.
This is what we ate during our trip to Koh Lanta in November 2024, at the “Picasso” restaurant of the Cha-ba bungalow resort.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 12 oz chicken breast
- 4 tsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 cup wood ear mushrooms
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp tao jiew (fermented soy sauce – optional)
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 3 inches fresh ginger (peeled and julienned)
- 1/2 onion
- 1/2 red bell pepper (cut into strips)
- 2 Thai chilies
- to taste white pepper
- 2 green onions
Steps
Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for at least 15 minutes or until fully hydrated.
Season the chicken with 2 teaspoons of soy sauce.
Combine all the sauce ingredients: 2 tablespoons of water, oyster sauce, tao jiew, the remaining 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, toasted sesame oil, and white pepper. Mix to combine.
In a wok or large pan, sauté the chopped garlic and Thai chilies.Tip: If you want to lessen the spiciness of the ginger, add it at this point and sauté for a minute or two until it softens.
Turn the heat up high, add the chicken.
Add the sauce, ginger if not added before, mushrooms, onion, and red bell pepper.Stir until the chicken is fully cooked.
Turn off the heat, add the chopped green onions and stir for a few seconds, just to combine them.
