Chilli Chicken, Indo-Chinese style

This dish reminds me of my college days, studying late into the night before exams, lots of black coffee and Coke (the drink kind) and left-over Chilli Chicken. I would eat that at least twice a week during the exams. I don't know about you but studying used to make me ravenously hungry, still does..ha ha


This is not one of my healthiest dishes because it involves some frying to get the chicken all crunchy and crispy. I am totally in love with the oriental flavor of this dish. The spicy, crunchy chicken in a thick gravy...just thinking about it is making me drool here. I will do a healthier version (non-fried) in the next few weeks. So lets get right to it...

Indo-Chinese Chilli Chicken

RECIPE: Indo-Chinese Chilli Chicken (fried version)
Ingredients
1 Lb Chicken breast, boneless and skinless, cut in bite size pieces
1 1/2 Cups water to boil chicken
For the Batter
2 Eggs
3 Tbsp Flour
2 Tbsp Cornflour
1 tsp Soy sauce
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tsp salt or to taste
pinch of baking powder 
For the Sauce
3 Tbsp Garlic minced (10-12 cloves)
1-2 Green Chillies (Serrano peppers)
1 Onion, chopped into big chunks
3 Green Bell Peppers, chopped in big chunks
3 Tbsp Soy sauce
2 Tbsp Tomato Ketchup
1 tsp Red chilli paste
salt and pepper to tatse
1/4 Cup Chicken stock
1 Tbsp oil
For Garnish
2-3 Spring onions, chopped on a slant
handful of Coriander leaves, chopped finely


Method

1. Boil the chicken in 1 1/2 cups of water for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Strain using a sieve and reserve the chicken stock to be used later.
2. For the Batter: Mix all the 6 ingredients and mic the chicken with it. Heat oil in a deep pan about 1 " high and fry the chicken pieces in it till golden brown. Put them on a paper towel and set aside.
3. For the Sauce: Heat the Tbsp of oil on high heat and add the minced garlic and green chillies to it. Stir fry for a minute.  Add the Onions and green Bell peppers to it and stir fry for 3-4 minutes, still on high heat. I like the onions ad bell peppers to brow and char a little on the ends.
4. Reduce heat and add the soy sauce, ketchup, chilli paste, salt, pepper and 1/4  Cup of the reserved chicken stock.
5. To Assemble: Mix the chicken in with the sauce and cook on high heat till the sauce coats the fired chicken. Cover the pan and let it simmer on low for about 15 minutes so the juices and flavors blend in with the chicken. Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves and spring onions.

Step-by-step process,

PREP:I like to chop up all my ingredients and have them ready to use. It might seem like a lot of work but it usually works out to be much quicker when all is said and done and makes it a lot less messy.

Chop your onions and green bell peppers into large chunks, Serrano peppers, mince the garlic and even have the garnish ready at this point. Chop the coriander leaves and spring onions (on a slant).

Spring onions cut diagonally

So chop the chicken to bite size pieces and set aside in a bowl. Keep the pieces small because they will become almost double the size with batter frying. Make sure you wash your hands...

Make chicken batter and fry:
Boil the chicken in 1 1/2 cups of water for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Strain using a sieve and reserve the chicken stock to be used later. This step is done so the chicken does not absorb excess oil while frying and also keeps the chicken moist and juicy. Scoop out the scum from the top of the broth and discard.

Let it cool down for a little while. Take a deep frying pan and fill it up about an inch deep with canola oil. Set it on medium high heat. While it is getting hot prepare the batter.


Mix 2 Eggs, 3 Tbsp Flour, 2 Tbsp Cornflour, 1 tsp Soy sauce, 1/2 tsp white pepper, 1 tsp salt or to taste, pinch of baking powder. (The Flour and Cornflour add to the crispness and later thicken the gravy while the baking powder gives it the puffed up look and keeps it soft).

 

Mix the chicken with the batter and then fry a few pieces at a time till you use it all up. Set it on the paper towels to soak up the excess oil.

Make Sauce:


Heat the Tbsp of oil in a Wok on high heat and add the minced garlic and green chillies to it. Stir fry for a minute. Add the Onions and green Bell peppers to it and stir fry for 3-4 minutes, still on high heat. I like the onions ad bell peppers to brow and char a little on the ends. Adds a wonderful smokiness to the dish.

Reduce heat and add the 3 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp ketchup, 1 Tsp chilli paste, salt, pepper to taste and 1/4  Cup of the reserved chicken stock.

Assembly:

Mix the chicken in with the sauce and cook on high heat till the sauce coats the fired chicken.Cover the pan and let it simmer on low for about 15 minutes so the juices and flavors blend in with the chicken. Serve hot with steamed Jasmine white or brown rice, garnished with coriander leaves and spring onions.

 

Hope you enjoy making it, I can't wait to dig in...