Sunday 19 April 2009

Chilli Chicken (Indian Chinese)


Dish that originated from India - India's take to Chinese cuisine. Very similar to Kung Pao Chicken.



PREP TIME 15 Min
COOK TIME 15 Min
READY IN 30 Min

SERVINGS & SCALING
Original recipe yield: Serves 2-3, as a side dish (with rice)

INGREDIENTS
Chicken fillet, 500-600 gms (2 packets of 300 gms), cubed into bite-sized pieces
Dried red chillis, cut into edges (a small bowl)
Green pepper, 1 (medium diced)
Red pepper, 1 (medium diced)
Onion, 1 (medium diced)
Egg, 1
Garlic, 3 cloves (finely chopped)
Ginger, 1 tsp (finely grated)
Salt
Pepper
Soya sauce
Corn flour, 1tbsp
Corn flour water, 1 tbsp mixed with a cup of water
Chicken stock, 1/2 cube
Celery, 1 stick (finely chopped)
Chilli garlic paste, 4 tbsp (to taste)
Sesame seed oil, 3 tbsp
Oil
Cashew nuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Sprinkle the cornflour (around a tbsp) and a dash of salt on the chicken cubes. Crack and egg into the mixture. Mix with your hands. Add a dash of pepper.
2. Heat up a frying pan. Add sufficient oil for the purposes of deep-frying. Carefully place the chicken cubes in the oil. Turn over. Once the chicken cubes are cooked, drain the oil and set aside.
2. In the same frying pan, heat up the sesame oil. Thereafter, saute the dried red chillis in this oil. Add the garlic and ginger paste and saute.
3. Toss in the cashew nuts (optional). Thereafter, add the onions in and saute until the onions are translucent. Add in the peppers and celery. Toss in a dash of pepper, some chilli powder and soya sauce to taste. Add in garlic chilli sauce over the mixture liberally. Mix well.
4. Now, pour approximately 1 cup of water (mixed with the chicken stock) into the mixture. Let the mixture boil and leave to simmer. Taste. Add in more pepper, soya sauce and garlic chilli sauce (if desired).
5. Place the chicken pieces into the mixture. Now, very carefully, add in a spoonful of the corn flour water and mix well. If required, add in another spoonful of the corn flour water (around 4 spoonfuls of corn flour water will be added if the measurements above are followed closely). Toss the mixture well. There you have your delicious Chilli Chicken dish. Enjoy!

TIPS
Note: Instead of chicken fillet, use chicken thigh if you prefer the meat to be more tender.

Adding the corn flour water gives the mixture a starchy feel, which is usual in Chinese stir-fry dishes. Be careful not to add in the corn flour water too quickly or too liberally, else the sauce will be coagulated and you are left with a mess of chicken! Ideally, some sauce should be left behind.

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