Staying true to my love for everything Chinese and spicy, here's another Indo-Chinese favourite that is very popular with the masses and commonly served as an appetizer or starter at most Chinese restaurants.
Vegetarian alternates of this dish are made with paneer, tofu, potato and even mushrooms. I will eventually get around to making all of them... I hope! Well, fingers crossed ;)
Chilli Chicken is a taste-provoking dish that is sweet, spicy and slightly sour, all at the same time. This crispy appetizer is made with chicken obviously, and bell peppers, garlic and a beautiful chilli and soy sauce.
If you do happen to try this out, you may notice that it tastes slightly different from the restaurant versions. Firstly, obviously it is homemade and secondly, it lacks the usual ingredient that most restaurants use - ajinomotto or monosodium glutamate (MSG), to give it that unique flavour. I don't use it for health reasons.
Another trick most restaurants use to give chilli chicken that distinct red colour is food colouring. Again, I avoid this step completely.
When it comes to frying the chicken, it is generally deep-fried, but for a healthier option, I shallow-fry it in a good quality vegetable oil.
Find the link to the demo video for this recipe here: @ChilliChicken
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1 medium onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 bell pepper, julienned
3 red chillies, slit
1 sprig of spring onions, chopped
(Keep some for garnishing)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
For the sauce:
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp chilli saue
2 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper powder
3 tbsp water
For the chicken:
300g chicken breast, strips
2 tsp chilli sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp pepper powder
3 tbsp cornstarch (corn flour)
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
1 egg white
Oil for frying
Method:
Wash and cut the chicken into thick strips of about an inch long.
Drain the chicken completely and then place it in a mixing bowl.
Add the chilli sauce, soy sauce, pepper powder, chilli powder and salt.
Sprinkle the cornstarch and all purpose flour over it.
Add in the egg white and now mix well.
Set this aside to marinate for at least 15 minutes or until you need it. You can also leave it covered in the fridge overnight.
Add all the ingredients listed under 'For the sauce' and mix well. Leave aside until it's needed.
Heat the oil for frying the chicken in a shallow pan. Do this on medium to high heat. You can deep fry the chicken, but I prefer to shallow fry it.
Once the oil is hot, place the chicken carefully in the pan. Leave enough room between the pieces. Fry it one side at a time until all the pieces are nice and golden brown all over.
Remove the chicken from the pan rest it till it's needed.
Place a wok or shallow pan on a high flame. Add the vegetable oil and heat it.
Toss in the garlic and fry for about a minute.
Add the onions, bell pepper, green chillies and spring onions. Don't forget to leave some of the spring onions for garnishing!
Fry the veggies for a few minutes until they're soft, but still crunchy.
Pour in the sauce. Stir-fry until it bubbles up nicely and thickens slightly.
At this point you can taste to see if the salt, seasonings, etc., are adequate and then adjust accordingly.
Now add the fried chicken and combine well until all the pieces are well coated in the sauce.
Switch off the flame and garnish with spring onions.
Serve immediately with fried rice or even enjoy it as a delicious appetizer.
PS: If you make any of my recipes, do tag me on Instagram as @MyFoodyChic and use the #MyFoodyChic hashtag. I really do love seeing your takes on my recipes!
XOXO, Jovanka
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