The appeal here is a crisp crust over meat that stays soft. Chicken breast dries out fast over a high flame, and a sauce that has not thickened enough will slide straight off the cutlet.
Each breast is split into two slices about 1cm thick and tapped with the handle of a knife, which softens the meat and helps it cook evenly. The sauce simmers for another 5 minutes over low heat until it thickens.
This batch weighs about 1.4kg, at roughly 129 calories per 100g. It travels well as a work lunch.
Method
Crack 1 large chicken egg into a bowl and beat it. Peel and crush the garlic.
Soak the 4 chicken breasts in lightly salted water, rinse them and pat them completely dry. Split each one into two slices about 1cm thick, tap them with the handle of a knife to tenderize, and season with a little salt and black pepper.
Mix 8 tablespoons corn flour or panko breadcrumbs with a little salt and spread it on a plate. Dip each piece of chicken in the beaten egg, roll it in the coating, dip it in the egg again and coat it once more.
Heat oil in a nonstick pan and fry the chicken pieces until golden and crisp on both sides, then lift them onto a plate to drain.
Make the sauce: put 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 to 2 tablespoons Korma spice, 4 tablespoons tomato sauce, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 200ml water in a separate pan. Bring it to a boil, stir until everything dissolves, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Once the chicken has cooled a little, cut it into bite sized pieces and serve it with white rice and shredded cabbage, with the sauce alongside.
Tips
Korma spice, the Anglo Indian curry blend, is hard to find in Vietnam. Ready made yellow curry powder covers the same amount.
Without panko, the large flake Vietnamese crispy breadcrumb works.
Medium heat browns the crust evenly and keeps the meat inside from drying.
Honey is still a sugar. For a lighter hand, drop it to 1 tablespoon and add more water.
Cut the chicken once it has cooled a little, since cutting it hot pulls the crust off.
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