Chilli Chicken

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Chilli chicken is a popular Indo-Chinese chicken dish of Hakka Chinese heritage. Good Chinese food aims to balance the five basic tastes of sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami. Chilli chicken demonstrates four of these tastes brilliantly.

Better than takeout, this Easy Chilli Chicken recipe is a keeper. The saltiness of soya sauce tempered by sweet and sour notes and rounded off by the spiciness of Chilli explodes in a wonderful combination of flavour that is unsurpassed.

Chilli Chicken

Chilli chicken is a sweet, spicy & slightly sour crispy appetizer made withΒ chicken, bell peppers, garlic, chilli sauce and soya sauce.
Servings 2
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

For Chicken Marinade

  • Chicken breast 200gm, cut into strips
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper powder
  • 1 Tsp Chilli powder/Paprika
  • 1 Tsp Garlic powder
  • 1 Tsp Onion powder
  • Half of a Beaten Egg
  • 2 Tbsp Cornflour
  • Vegetable Oil to fry

For the Slurry

  • 2 Tbsp freshly grounded chilli paste (from deseeded and presoakedΒ 4 Kashmiri dry red Chillis) ( or Use 1 Tbsp Chilli sauce of your choice)
  • 1 Tbsp Soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp Tomato KetchupΒ 
  • 1 Tsp Plain Vinegar/ Rice Vinegar/1 Tbsp Chinese cooking wine
  • 1/2 Tsp Sesame oil
  • 1 Tsp Honey/SugarΒ 
  • 1 Tbsp Cornflour
  • 1/2 Cup Hot Water
  • 1 Tsp Chicken Stock cube/Chicken bouillon

For Tempering

  • 2 Tbsp Oil
  • 2 Dry Red Chillies, split
  • 1 Tsp White part of Scallions/Spring OnionsΒ 
  • 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic Ginger
  • 2-3 Green chillies slit
  • Bell peppers cut into strips( I used Green, Red and Yellow half of each )
  • 1 small Sized Onion, cut lengthwiseΒ 
  • Salt to taste
  • Fried Chicken and Veggies
  • Chopped Green part of Spring Onions/Scallions to GarnishΒ 

Instructions

  • Marinate the chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, half of a beaten Egg and cornflour. Let it rest for 10mins.
    chilli chicken
  • Deep fry the chicken in oil till crispy and golden brown on all sides. Fry in high heat for first few minutes to get a crispy layer and then lower the heat to cook through the chicken.
    chilli chicken
  • Drain them on a cooling rack to maintain the crispiness.
    chilli chicken
  • Prepare the slurry by making a homemade chilli paste from soaking 4 Dry Kashmiri Red chillies. I washed and desseeded them and then soaked in hot water for 30mins. After soaking, make a paste of it in a grinder by using some of the water in which it was soaked. Do not add too much water.
    If you dont have dry chillies, then you can use 1 Tbsp of any chilli sauce you prefer. But homemade chilli paste gives a great flavor and vibrant color to the gravy without making it too much spicy!
    chilli chicken
  • Add Soya sauce, Tomato Ketchup, Vinegar, Sesame oil, honey, cornflour, hot water mixed with 1 Tsp or cube of Chicken stock/bouillon. Do not skip adding the chicken stock, it adds a great umami flavor to the gravy. However if you dont have it, then just use plain water. Add Chilli powder if you need it to be more spicy.
    chilli chicken
  • Fry the Bell Peppers, Onions using 2 Tbsp of same oil (used for frying the chicken) at high heat for 2mins to make them crispy. Drain them aside. Do not overcook as it will get soggy.
    chilli chicken
  • Take 2 Tbsp of the same oil again and saute dry red chillies, white scallions, minced ginger and garlic, few slit green chillies.
    chilli chicken
  • Add the prepared slurry and cook till it gets bit thick.
    chilli chicken
  • Add the chicken pieces and veggies.
    chilli chicken
  • Check the salt and Sprinkle some black pepper and garnish with Green Scallions or Spring Onions. Switch of the heat and serve it warm. Do not overcook the gravy after adding the chicken and veggies as they tend to get soggy very fast.
    chilli chicken

Video

Notes

You can cut the chicken in either cubes or strips like i did. Use boneless chicken preferably but chicken with bones also works.Β 
Deep fry the chicken in hot oil to get crispy layers. Turn the heat down after 2 mins till the chicken gets golden brown and cooked.
If you need a dry stir fry then use less water in the sauce or cook till it thickens quite a bit before adding the chicken. If you need more gravy, add some extra hot water before adding the chicken.
Do not overcook the gravy after adding the fried chicken and veggies as they will turn soggy.
Β 
Β 
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese, Indian
Keyword: chicken, chilli chicken, indo chinese, stir fry

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