Satu gai is a Thai Vietnamese chicken stew with tomatoes and vegetables. Served with a spicy prik nam pla sauce, cilantro, and rice, it is a unique, yet familiar, chicken stew recipe.
Finding a taste of home while traveling abroad
During my journeys around the globe, there are moments when I simply miss home. I miss sitting with my family for dinner, hanging out with my friends at cafés, going to the gym, and even having a “normal” 9-5 job. Strange, right?
Well, it’s completely natural. Most people were raised in one place, speaking one language (two at the most), adhering to a certain culture, and being surrounded by their friends and family on a daily basis.
There are only a few people who grow up in a nomadic and international lifestyle, interacting with different people, cultures, and cuisines on a daily basis.
Thus, when one decides to set out for a long trip, no matter how exciting, educating, and rewarding it is, homesickness will show up at a certain point.
On my last trip to Cambodia and Thailand, I often experienced such moments. I often found myself thinking about my parents and my hometown. They all seemed to be so far away.
And then, one day, as I wandered around the Thai Vietnamese neighborhood of Sakhon Nakhon, a city in Northeastern Thailand, I was caught by a familiar scent of home.
It came from a small shop across the street. I could smell the hearty chicken broth, the stewed tomatoes, the bay leaf aroma. It was as if I was back home in Israel, watching TV in the living room, and smelling my mom’s cooking from the kitchen next door.
I had no choice but to enter. I was greeted by the owners, a lovely Thai Vietnamese family. They offered me a seat and a plate of their signature dish – Chicken Stew (or Satu Gai in Thai).
Thai Vietnamese chicken stew
Judging from the composition and preparation, the dish was probably inspired by the French colonists who ruled Vietnam until only decades ago.
During French rule, the Vietnamese adopted many French ingredients, dishes, and cooking techniques, adjusting them to the local palate and making them their own.
A Franco-Vietnamese cuisine of a sort.
The Thai Vietnamese community in Sakhon Nakhon is mainly comprised of South Vietnamese refugees, who came there escaping the harsh wars of the 20th century. Seeking asylum in Thailand, they brought their precious family recipes with them.
As the years passed, they preserved them, as if their sense of home depended on them, ingrained in their aromas.
While I’m not French, the use of tomatoes, potatoes, bay leaves, and green peas is common in many Mediterranean cuisines, hence I instantly associated these flavors with my mother’s cooking.
A Southeast Asian twist to a French dish
However, there were also some unexpected twists to the dish, as if reminding me where I actually was: Southeast Asia.
The taste was distinctively “French”, yet the texture was silkier than any other French stew that I had tried as if it were thickened with some sort of flour. This thickening technique is very common in Southern Chinese and Vietnamese cuisines.
In addition, while at home, I would eat such a stew with fluffy challah bread (a traditional Jewish delicacy).
Satu Gai was served alongside a plate of jasmine white rice and accompanied by sliced cucumber and Nam Prik Pla – a popular Thai fish sauce condiment.
Frankly, it was a phenomenal experience. It felt as if I was in Israel, France, Thailand, and Vietnam – all at the same time!
Ingredients
The ingredients for this dish can be found in most Western grocery stores (even Thai fish sauce, due to globalization).
You will need bone-in chicken pieces and classic stew vegetables like onion, tomatoes, potatoes, and peas.
What makes this chicken stew unique is the garnish and serving sauce. The stew is traditionally served with chopped cilantro and Prik Nam Pla, a spicy fish sauce and lime condiment.
You can serve this stew with rice, or bread, however you prefer.
How to make this Thai Vietnamese chicken stew
The preparation steps for this stew are few and simple, guaranteeing a rewarding result with minimal effort.
First, you marinate the chicken with salt, pepper, and onions. Then this chicken gets fried until the skin is crispy.
In the soup pot, you saute some aromatics and add the tomatoes, potatoes, and chicken.
Once these items are cooked through, add some green peas and adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
The Prik Nam Pla sauce is just as easy to make. Simply mix the ingredients together and it is ready to go!
Tips for the best chicken stew
For a maximal chicken flavor in your broth, I recommend using free-range chicken meat.
You may substitute the canned tomatoes with freshly chopped tomatoes if you’d like, yet please keep in mind that the end result may taste different, as this stew is originally made with the canned ones.
The reason for this is that in the past, the French imported canned tomatoes to the region, as an economical substitute for fresh tomatoes. As the years passed, canned tomatoes have become an important ingredient in Franco-Vietnamese cuisine.
How to store and reheat this chicken stew
You can store this chicken stew in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Simply reheat in a pot on the stove or in the microwave.
We recommend making fresh rice for serving leftovers.
Satu Gai is a perfect dish for everyone who seeks comfort, a sense of home, and an adventure.
Now, one thing is left to be decided – on which team are you: rice or bread?
Satu Gai (Thai Vietnamese Chicken Stew)
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 1/3 lb (600 g) bone-in chicken (drumsticks and/or thighs)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 white onion , sliced
- Vegetable oil , for shallow frying
For the stew
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 10 oz (300 g) canned tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 medium sized potatoes , cubed
- 4 cups (1 liter) water (more , if necessary)
- 1 tsp flour , mixed with 1 Tbsp water
- 1 cup green peas , cooked
- Salt and black pepper (to taste)
- Chopped cilantro (to garnish)
For the Prik Nam Pla
- 1/3 cup fish sauce
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 Tbsp chopped bird eye chilis (about 4 pieces)
- 1 clove garlic , sliced
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken with salt, black pepper, and sliced onions. Let it stand for at least 15 minutes.
- Heat oil in a large pot, and shallow-fry the chicken for 5 minutes on each side. When the skin becomes slightly crispy, set the chicken aside.
- Remove excess oil and melt butter in the same pot.
- Add the garlic and bay leaves. Stir fry for 30 seconds.
- Add canned tomatoes and sugar and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Once the sauce thickens, add the chicken back to the pot.
- Add the potatoes and water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for around 40 minutes on low heat (add more water, if necessary).
- While the stew is cooking, make the Prik Nam Pla by mixing fish sauce, lime juice, chopped chilies, and sliced garlic together in a bowl. Set aside.
- Once the chicken and potatoes are tender and cooked through, add the flour mixture and stir.
- Add cooked green peas and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper, if needed.
- Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with white rice (or bread, if desired) and Prik Nam Pla. Enjoy!
Nutrition
If you liked this recipe, here are some similar dishes you may enjoy!
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