Khao man gai

Khao man gai is a Thai dish of poached chicken served on rice cooked in the poaching stock and fat, with sliced cucumber and a ginger and chilli dipping sauce.

What it really is

Khao man gai is a Thai version of Hainanese chicken rice, brought to Thailand by Chinese migrants from Hainan and now sold as a street food and in rice shops across the country. The chicken is poached whole or in pieces in water with ginger, garlic and spring onion, and the poaching liquid is kept as a light broth. The rice is washed, fried briefly in chicken fat, then cooked in the stock, which gives it its colour and flavour.

The dish is served with a sauce of ginger, garlic, fresh chilli and a little soy sauce, and often with a clear soup from the same stock. Thai versions are commonly distinguished from Singaporean and Malaysian chicken rice by the sharper dipping sauce and by the use of a ginger-heavy chilli sauce. Unlike the Hainanese original, the Thai form is often sold with a brown sweet soy-based dipping sauce as well.

How it's served

• Sliced poached chicken on a plate of fragrant rice, usually with cucumber and coriander leaves.
• A small bowl of clear chicken broth on the side.
• Ginger and chilli sauce spooned over the chicken or served in a dish to dip.
• Eaten with a fork and spoon, often as a quick lunch from a stall.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the core ingredients: poached chicken, rice cooked in chicken stock, and ginger chilli sauce.
• Say whether the chicken is served on the bone or boneless, and whether the rice is cooked in the stock.
• Flag that the soy-based sauce contains SOY and WHEAT.
• State that the dish is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans, as the rice and broth are made with chicken.