Chilli Chicken

After a wonderful and sunny weekend, the rains and dark clouds have come back to pester my state of mind again. I realize how much dependent my mood has become on  the weather. So after days of being not in touch with my blog I decided to catch up on the pending recipes lying in the draft section.  Somehow I know working on my blog is going to cheer me up today in spite if the gloominess outside! Tomorrow will mark the completion of a year of my marital bliss and am suddenly feeling very happy and excited about it. One whole year of togetherness just flew by…. last year this time I was amidst houseful of relatives and festivities. Looking back it sure had been the most memorable year in my life. I plan to watch my wedding video today before BBC  joins me in the evening. But prior to that I need to share this wonderful recipe with you all.

Chilli Chicken, originally a Chinese ‘formula’ has undergone may different variations in different parts of the world. So I am not sure in which version my recipe might fall into. However, I am familiar with the way my mom cooks it and I followed suit. My husband also does a good job of this ‘sans’ the egg. Have it as a starter or a main course, it will remain a lip-smacking dish always!

Ingredients:

Chicken, cut into small bite size pieces – 500 gms
Vinegar – 2 tbsp
Salt – to taste
Egg – 1
Cornflour/Cornstarch – 2-3 tbsp
Oil – 2 tbsp for frying
Onions, sliced – 2 medium-sized
Bell peppers, cut into thick strips – 1
Ginger paste – 1 tsp
garlic paste or chopped – 8-10 cloves
green chilies, chopped – 5-6
Soya sauce -1.5 tbsp
Tomato sauce -2 tbsp
Chilli sauce -1 tbsp or to taste
Chicken stock – 1 cup (if not available, substitute with water)

Method:

Cut the chicken into small pieces and marinate with vinegar and salt for 10 minutes. (Boneless chicken is preferrable.)
Add 2 tbsp of  cornstarch to the chicken, break the eggs and mix well. keep it aside for another 10-15 mins.
Heat sufficient oil in a pan and fry the chicken pieces till golden brown. Drain and keep aside.
In the same pan (add 1 tbsp more oil if required), heat the oil and fry the onions.
Add bell pepper, chopped green chillies, ginger paste and garlic to it and saute for a while.
Add soya, tomato and chilli sauce to it as per taste and mix well.
Add the left over marinade and chicken stock or water and mix well.
Add the chicken pieces and cover and cook for a while.
Mix the remaining cornstarch with 2-3 tbsp of water and add to the mixture.
Mix well and let it simmer for a minute.
Garnish with spring onions and serve hot.

Note:

For starters or a dry preparation let the excess moisture evaporate to the desired consistency.
For main course or gravy add chicken stock or water and cook till the desired consistency.



Filed under: Chicken, Non-Vegeterian, Starters, Snacks & Titbits Tagged: chicken, chili chicken, chill chicken, chinese, non veg, starter