Thai Chicken with Asparagus

1 teaspoon salt
1 pound thin asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 3-inch pieces
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce
4 medium skinless, boneless chickenbreast halves (about 11â„4 pounds), thinly sliced
3 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 jumbo onion (about 1 pound), thinly sliced
1 piece fresh ginger (about 2" by 1"), peeled and cut into matchstickthin strips
2 jalapeÃ±o chiles, seeded and cut into matchstick-thin strips
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves

In 10-inch skillet, heat 1 inch water and salt to boiling over high heat.Add asparagus; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, 3 to 5 minutes, until asparagus is just tender-crisp. Drain asparagus; set aside.
In medium bowl,mix sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, and soy sauce. Stir in chicken until evenly coated. (Coat chicken just before cooking, because the lime juice will change its texture.)
In nonstick 12-inch skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken and cook 5 minutes or just until it loses its pink color throughout, stirring occasionally. With tongs or slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a clean bowl, leaving any cooking liquid in skillet.
Add onion, ginger, and jalapeÃ±os to skillet and cook until onion is tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer onion mixture to bowl with the cooked chicken.
In same skillet, heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil over medium heat until hot. Add the asparagus to the skillet and cook until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Return onion mixture and chicken to skillet; heat through.
Toss basil and cilantro leaves with chicken mixture just before serving