Kung Pao Chicken

This highly addictive stir-fried chicken is a complex sauce of sweet, salty, sour and spicy flavours infused in chicken chucks, dried chillies topped with peanuts or cashew nuts. I personally like them with cashew nuts but I know that peanuts is often readily available. In Singapore, Kung Pao chicken is usually found at Zi Char stalls and this is a common dish in US for Chinese takeaways. I vividly remember it’s popularity at Panda Express and ordered one too many times during my work training in Boston several years ago. Delicious, savoury and a favourite amongst many!

INGREDIENTS

Marinade

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine

• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

• 1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes

  Sauce

• 1 tbs Chinese black vinegar

• 1 tsp soy sauce

• 1 tsp hoisin sauce

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 2 tsp sugar

• 1 tsp cornstarch

• 1/2 tsp ground Sichuan pepper

• 2 tsp vegetable oil

• 8 to 10 dried red chilies

• 3 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tsp minced or grated fresh ginger

• 1/4 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts or cashew nuts

• 1 red or green capsicum, diced

*Reduce the number of dried red chillies if you want this dish less spicy

Instructions

1. In a heated wok, pour in vegetable oil and add in all aromatics such as ginger, dried red chillies, sichuan pepper and cloves. Stir fry for about 2 minutes

2. Add in diced chicken chunks followed by all the sauce mix and cook on medium heat

3. When chicken is semi-cooked, add in diced capsicum and continue stir-frying for several more minutes.

4. Add salt & pepper to taste and warm over warm rice. You may remove all dried chillies if you prefer less of a spicy kick.