Evil Jungle Prince With Chicken Or With Mixed Vegetables

1/2 lb Boneless chicken breast

-OR- 1/2 lb -Mixed vegetables,

- (see note below) 2 -to

6 sm Red chile peppers

1/2 Stalk fresh lemon grass

2 Kaffir lime leaves

2 tb Oil

1/2 c Coconut milk

1/2 ts Salt

1 -to

4 tb Fish sauce,

- based on personal taste - (omit for veggie version) 10 -to

15 Basil leaves

1 c Chopped cabbage

Thinly cut chicken into 2-inch strips. (If doing veggie version, cut vegetables into thin strips.) Grind together red chili peppers, lemon grass, and kaffir lime leaves in a food processor or pound in a mortar. Heat oil to medium-high and saute pepper mixture for 3 minutes. Stir in coconut milk and cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken (or vegetables) and cook for 5 minutes or until cooked (same time for veggies). Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in fish sauce (if using), salt, and basil. Serve on a bed of chopped cabbage. Note: ===== For mixed vegetables, choose from among bell peppers, string beans, water chestnuts, tomatoes (small cherry tomatoes are best), bamboo shoots, miniature corn, asparagus, cucumbers, zucchini, Japanese eggplant, and mushrooms. I particularly like string beans or asparagus, a few cherry tomatoes, shredded (rather than sliced) bamboo shoots, miniature corn, and some straw mushrooms or slender (Japanese) eggplant. (3-4 servings) Source: Keo's Thai Cuisine by Keo Sananikone, Ten Speed Press, 1986 From: arielle@taronga.com (Stephanie da Silva)