Three-cup chicken with Thai basil on rice
Chicken braised in sesame oil, rice wine and soy sauce, finished with a big handful of Thai basil — intensely fragrant and a real mood-lifter.
- 30 min
- Serves 3
- Braise
- Easy
Why it suits you: Qi-stagnant people are prone to low spirits, a tight chest, aching sides and frequent sighing, and long, busy summer days make it worse. Thai basil is pungent, warm and aromatic, moving qi and easing digestion; ginger, garlic and rice wine disperse and keep qi flowing. Its aroma opens up both appetite and mood.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 20 min- 1Pat the chicken dry. Pick, rinse and drain the basil leaves; peel the garlic.
- 2Fry the ginger and garlic gently in the sesame oil until golden, then add the chicken and fry over medium heat until golden on both sides.
- 3Add the rice wine, both soy sauces, rock sugar and chilli, cover and braise on low heat for 12 minutes. Uncover, reduce over high heat, and stir through the basil just before turning off the heat. Serve with rice.
Cautions
- Rich and warming; eat less if you overheat easily or have mouth ulcers.
Chef's tips
- Add the basil right at the end so it keeps its scent; a clay pot gives it a true Taiwanese feel.
The TCM view
Thai basil is pungent and warm, dispersing wind, moving qi, transforming damp and aiding digestion. Chicken is sweet and warm, warming the middle and boosting qi. Garlic and ginger warm and move stagnation, and rice wine opens the vessels. Aromatic herbs regulate the flow of qi while chicken tonifies, so qi moves freely without being depleted.
