It’s been nearly a year since I have been to Kolkata, and will likely be another until I can go back. And I have realized, unsurprisingly, that it’s the food I miss most about Kolkata. And of all of the foods, I miss chili chicken the most. Anyone who knows me knows that I am obsessed with this dish. When people invite me over, they make or order chili chicken. When they take me out, they take me to my favorite Chinese restaurants in the city. I can unhesitantly say that chili chicken is my most favorite food in the whole world. Therefore, I have been making a lot of it at home lately. So much so that I have perfected the recipe and could easily find a job at China Town. Wouldn’t that be nice? Because then I would get to eat chili chicken every day!
Restaurant-style Chili Chicken Gravy
Ingredients
- 500 grams boneless chicken
For marinade
- 2 tsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 2 green chilies, chopped
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- oil for deep frying
For gravy
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic
- 1 tsp chopped ginger
- 2-3 green chilies, chopped
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 large bell pepper/capsicum, diced
- 1/2 tsp MSG optional
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp ketchup optional
- 1 tsp red/green chilly sauce
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 2 springs green onions, chopped
- 2 tsp corn starch
- 1/2 cup water
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry the chicken and cut them into bite-size pieces.
Marinate and fry
- In a mixing bowl, add chicken, garlic and ginger paste, chopped chilies, soy sauce, black pepper powder, oil, and vinegar, and let marinate for 2 hours in the refrigerator. After 2 hours, add egg and mix well. Now add all-purpose flour, mix and set aside.
- Heat enough oil in a deep pan to fry the chicken pieces, a few at a time, until golden brown. Remove and drain onto absorbent paper.
Make the gravy
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a deep pan. Add ginger, garlic, and green chilies and saute until fragrant.
- Now add the onions and bell peppers and cook over high heat until slightly scorched.
- Now add MSG (optional) and cook for a minute.
- Add soy sauce, vinegar, red chilly sauce, tomato ketchup, sugar, black pepper powder, and salt (if necessary). Saute well.
- Now add the fried chicken pieces to this thick gravy and mix well.
- Sprinkle finely chopped green onions.
- If you want chilly chicken dry, then at this stage you can turn off the flame and transfer it to a serving bowl.
- To make gravy, mix the corn starch and water and add to the chicken. Lower heat, let it come to a simmer, cook while stirring for a couple of minutes before turning heat off.
- Serve with fried rice, chowmein, or steamed rice.
Nutrition
Dhrubaa Mukherjee--An academic by profession, a contributor to Huffington Post, a dancer by passion, a compulsive foodie, a former flight attendant, and a constant traveler, I am, what they call, a transnational gourmand (gourmet?). I am not only fascinated by the tastes, colors, textures and aromas of food, I am equally intrigued by the histories, traditions and cultural inter-junctions that drive/influence recipes.
[…] Add vinegar, black pepper powder, spring onion, and salt. Add the cooked rice, stir to mix everything evenly, and remove from heat. Serve hot with chili chicken. […]