Chilli Chicken

A Chinese meal is incomplete without an appetizer and may it be vegetarian meal or non vegetarian, chilli paneer or chilli chicken are the most often enjoyed. This is how I prepare this dish at home.

 

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Ingredients:

For Marination:

• 1/2kg Boneless Chicken cut into bite-size pieces

• 1tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste 

• Salt to taste

• 1 1/2 tbsp Cornflour

For Sauce:

• 1 tbsp Oil

• 1 tbsp Garlic finely chopped

• 3-4 Green Chillies cut lengthwise

• 2 Dry Red Chillies

• 1 Onion cut into cubes

• 1 Capsicum cut into cubes

• 2 tbsp Tomato Ketchup

• 2 tbsp Green Chilli Sauce

• 1 tsp Vinegar

• 2 tbsp Soya Sauce

• 1 Cup Spring Onion's Green finely chopped

• 1 tsp Freshly Crushed Black Pepper

• 1 tsp Sugar

• Salt if needed

Method:

To marinate the Chicken:

• In a bowl, add chicken pieces, ginger - garlic paste, salt and cornflour, mix them well.

• Marinate for 20 minutes.

To fry Chicken:

• Heat oil in a pan. Now add the marinated chicken pieces to the hot oil and let them cook for about 5 minutes or till the chicken is cooked. (Cooking time over here depends on how big or small your chicken pieces are ). But once they are golden brown around the edges, it's time to take the chicken out.

• Remove the chicken pieces and place them on absorbent paper to drain off the excess oil.

• Now in a saucepan or wok, heat a tablespoon of oil, add finely chopped garlic, dry red chilies & green chillies. Saute for a minute on high flame so that the raw smell from garlic fades away. Do not brown the garlic.

• Now add the cubed onion & capsicum to it and saute them for 2-3 minutes.

• Add tomato ketchup, green chilli sauce, soya sauce & vinegar to the vegetables and mix them well

• Add the fried chicken pieces and mix them well. Add half cup of water and let the sauce boil for about 2 minute on high flame.

• Add crushed black pepper  & salt to taste (add salt only if needed as already the above sauces have salt in it).

• Now  make a cornflour slurry by adding some water to a spoonful on cornflour.

• Add this cornflour slurry to the chilli chicken.

• Add a teaspoon of sugar and chopped spring onion and mix well.

• Chilli chicken is ready.

• Serve it hot as an appetizer.

Note:  1)The above recipe is the dry version of chilli chicken, if you want gravy then add more water to it. 

2) You may also use paneer, tofu or baby corns in case you want to substitute chicken for a vegetarian option. 

But for paneer, tofu and baby corn do not marinate using ginger garlic paste instead use only cornflour slurry and plain flour in equal proportions and deep fry immediately.

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For more recipes visit my new blog here > The Spicy Cafe

Healthy Chinese Bhel Using Chapati

Its been more than a month now that I have been successful in ditching unhealthy junk food and immensely trying hard to implement healthy lifestyle by cooking at home with low carb ingredients and high fiber content. And that's what lead Me to prepare this utterly magnificent tongue tingling dish made with Chapati and lots of veggies. Though it has sauces which are not quite "healthy" but still such a small quantity won't harm for that "Healthy Quotient".

I was quite hesitant though, regarding the taste but was amazed to find out that it tasted heavenly delicious than using fried hakka noodles! No wonder this is now a family favourite at our home.!!!

Ingredients: (Serves 3)

• 1 1/2 Cup Fried Chapati Noodles

• 1 Cup Grated OR Shredded Carrot

• 1 Cup Shredded Cabbage

• 1/4th Cup Spring Onion Greens finely chopped

• Salt if needed

For Sauce:

• 1 tsp Minced Garlic  

• 1 tbsp Red Chili Sauce 

• 2 tbsp Tomato Ketchup

• 1 tbsp Soy Sauce

• 1 tsp Vinegar

Chapati Noodles:

• Using a kitchen scissor / knife cut Chapati into strips. 

• Let the width of the strips be half inch wide. Once your chapati is cut into strips, now in batches deep fry these chapati chips till they are light golden brown.

• Transfer the fried chapati chips onto a tissue paper to absorb the extra oil.

• Your fried Chapati noodles are ready.

Method: 

• In a bowl, add minced garlic, red chilly sauce, soy sauce, tomato ketchup, vinegar and mix well.

• In a mixing bowl, add carrot, cabbage some spring onion greens, fried  Chapati noodles and above prepared sauce. Keep aside some spring onion greens for garnishing.

• Mix all the ingredients well. Check for seasoning.

• Chinese Bhel using leftover Chapati's is ready.

• Garnish with finely chopped spring onions and serve. 

Note: 1) You may add veggies as per your choice. Capsicum, Beans Sprouts, Onions etc.

2) In case you don't want to have raw veggies, you can saute this veggies along with the sauce and then add to the fried chapati noodles once the veggies are cooled off.

Chicken Schezwan Noodles

Spicy indulgence in juicy chicken, soft noodles & crunchy veggies is all that is needed to enjoy a weekend supper!! A lip-smacking Indo-Chinese fusion of chicken schezwan noodles prepared using very minimal ingredients without compromising on taste.

   

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

• 100gms Boneless Chicken cut into julienne

•  2 Dry Red Chilies teared into pieces 

• 4-5 Garlic Cloves finely chopped

• 1/4th cup Water

• 1/4th cup Cabbage cut into julienne

• 1/4th cup Carrot cut into julienne

• 1/4th cup Capsicum cut into julienne

• 1/4th cup Spring Onion Whites cut into julienne

• Finely chopped Spring Onion greens for garnishing

• 4 tbsp Schezwan Chutney OR Schezwan Sauce

• 100gms Boiled Noodles

• Salt to taste

• 3 tbsp Oil

Method:

• Heat oil in pan. Add red dry chilies & finely chopped garlic. Saute for 30 seconds on high flame.

• Now add chicken julienne, salt and saute them on high flame. Add 1/4th cup of water so that the chicken doesn't dry out and cooks well.

• Once the chicken is 90% cooked, add cabbage, carrots, spring onion whites & capsicum. Saute the vegetables for 2 minutes. 

• Then add schezwan chutney or sauce and mix well. Check for seasoning and add salt as per requirement.

• Add boiled noodles and toss them. Make sure that each & every strand of the noodle is coated with schezwan chutney or sauce.

• Chicken Schezwan Noodles are ready.

• Garnish with finely chopped spring onion greens and serve hot.

Vegetable American Chopsuey

One of my favourite chinese dish without which my chinese meal is incomplete. Sweet tangy delicious Vegetable American Chopsuey!

Ingredients:

•  Oil - 2 Tablespoons

•  Garlic Cloves - 5 nos.

•  Cabbage -2 Cups

•  Green Capsicum - 1 Cup

•  Carrots - 1 Cup

•  Onions - 1 Cup

•  Noodles - 1 Pack

•  Tomato Ketchup - 2 Cups

•  Red Chilly Sauce - 2 Tablespoons

• Vinegar- 3 Tablespoons

• Cornflour - 2 cups

• Salt if required

• Sugar - 2 Tablespoons

• Spring Onions Finely Chopped

• Water - 3 Cups

Method:

• Noodles:  Boil the noodles in water for about 15 minutes and then drain out the water.

• Drizzle little oil over them so that the noodles don't stick to each other.

• Heat oil in pan and fry the noodles till they are brown in colour.

• Keep them aside to cool.

• Sauce: Heat oil in a wok and add finely chopped garlic, onions, capsicum, carrots and cabbage and saute these vegetables.(Cut all the vegetables in julienne). 

• Stir-fry the vegetables on a high flame for about a minute. 

• Then add tomato ketchup, red chilly sauce and vinegar and mix well. 

• Add 3 cups of water and bring the mixture to a boil. 

• When the above mixture starts boiling add cornflour slurry and mix well.

• (To make cornflour slurry, mix equal amount of water with cornflour and mix well so that no lumps are formed). 

• Add sugar and salt as per taste. Add chopped spring onions. 

• Bring the sauce to boil and keep whisking the ingredients to avoid lumps. 

• Boil the sauce until it becomes thick.

Plating: In a serving bowl add the fried noodles and pour the above sauce over them. Garnish the chopsuey with spring onions and serve hot.

Enjoy this delicious dish with your favourite fried rice or noodles.