I’m a big fan of banh mi which is a Vietnamese-style sandwich with ingredients encased in a light and airy baguette and I think NamNam Noodle Bar in Singapore serves up some really decent ones that are not only tasty but very wallet friendly too. A typical banh mi is filled with either grilled pork or chicken, pate, floss and/or meatballs with accompanying vegetables like coriander, cucumber, chilli, pickled carrot & daikon.
I watched Aarti Party on Food Network a while ago and happened to come across Aarti Sequeira’s banh mi wrap recipe. I liked her idea of using garam masala to marinate the meat as the spices really lifted the flavour of the otherwise boring grilled meat. I swapped pork with chicken, used bread instead of wrap and also added chicken liver pate to give it a more authentic taste. The husband and I enjoyed the banh mi so much that I made repeats several times in a month. It’s so easy to make and it’s pretty healthy too! Enjoy!
Grilled Chicken Banh Mi Recipe
Ingredients (makes three 6″ sandwiches)
2 fresh red chillies, sliced lengthwise
1 medium sized cucumber, julienned
mint leaves (optional)
coriander leaves
chicken liver pate (click here for recipe)
multi-grain baguette or any bread of your choice
For grilled chicken:
300g chicken breast, cut into thin strips
1 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp 5-spice powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp sugar
For pickled carrots:
1 medium carrot, julienned
1/4 cup white rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
Instructions
1. In a jar, combine carrots, vinegar, sugar and salt. Shake the jar to thoroughly coat the carrots and allow to pickle in the fridge overnight for best results.
2. Marinate chicken with the rest of the ingredients and chill in fridge for at least an hour before cooking.
3. Pre-heat oven to 180 deg C at Grill with fan. Line a baking tray with aluminium foil and grease with cooking spray.
4. Transfer the chicken onto the baking tray, insert into oven’s highest shelf and broil for 15-20 minutes till chicken is cooked through.
5. To assemble the banh mi, slice the baguette lengthwise and to your desired size. Spread the pate on the inner sides of the bread and arrange the cucumber, chillies and pickled carrots on top followed by the chicken.
6. Top off with coriander and mint leaves.
Recipe adapted from Aarti Party, Food Network