Khauj Piab (Hmong Rice Noodles and Chicken)

I love khauj piab. It is my all time favorite dish that I can never get tired of eating. However, I do get tired of making it from scratch. I remember the first time I had this dish. I was probably around 8 or 9 years old and my mother made this dish before my oldest sister moved to Wisconsin from Rhode Island. Back then I did not know how to add flavors to it so it was very plain, but I still loved it. A few years later, I asked my mother if she can make it again since she hadn't made any since. She taught me the next day and I have been making it from scratch ever since. It is a long process that requires patience and getting your hands dirty. I came from a big family so my mother taught me how to make big portions only, so I would have leftovers when I make this dish for me and my husband and it would sadden me to waste it. After having my son, I just had no time to make it from scratch anymore. Lucky for me, I found some rice sticks at a korean store that can be used to make this delicious dish. I still prefer having this dish from scratch, but it is tastey either way.

Korean rice cakes are used in their famous
tteokbokki recipes

1 bag (2 lbs) rice cakes, defrosted
1 cornish game hen without giblets, quartered
6 quart water
1/2 stalk lemon grass
green onions, thinly sliced
fish sauce
additional toppiings

thickening:
3 Tbsp Tapioca starch
l/4 cup water

First, boil a pot of water and cook the rice cakes until soft; stirring constantly. *The rice cakes will plump up and double in size so you can use half the bag. I suggest you quartered the rice cakes lengthwise before cooking it because quartering it after will be a slippery and sticky mess. *

My son loves eating cornish hen

Meanwhile, wash the quartered cornish hen, take off the skin (optional), and trim off the fat. Cook the cornish hen and lemon grass in the 6 quart water, skimming off any fat that floats to the top. Add salt to taste. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. *If broth reduces in size, add more water and possibly salt to taste.*

Once cornish hen is fully cooked, take it out and let it cool. After it cooled down, shred the meat with fingers. *You can keep some meat on the bones if you have a bone lover in your family*

Add the shredded chicken back to the broth along with the cooked rice cakes. *Add more water and salt if needed* Make the thickening agent and add to the broth mixture. *Add more thickening agent if you prefer it to be thicker* Bring to a boil until it thickens up. Serve and top with green onions and additional toppings.

Plain khauj piab with green onions and fish sauce.

I like my khauj piab with black pepper, fish sauce, green onions,
chili and garlic pepper, alittle bit of sugar, dark sweet soy sauce,
alittle bit of soy sauce, and lots of sriracha sauce.