Chilli Chicken

1. Chicken Batter 

The batter is really simple - just add all the ingredients and mix to combine. Ensure there are no lumps in the batter. The ingredients that go into this mix are meant to season the chicken as well so be sure to season, taste and adjust to your liking!

2. Coat 

Add small bite sized chunks of boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs (the best for this recipe) to the batter. Mix everything together and allow it to marinate for at least an hour to get the best results. It’s always best to marinate for a long duration. You can even marinate it overnight - just seal the chicken in an airtight container and place it in the fridge. 

3. Deep Fry 

The chicken is fried on high heat (approx 350F), for approx 4-5 minutes till the outer coating is a deep golden brown on both sides. If the oil is too hot, you risk undercooking the chicken and if the oil is too cold, then you might over cook the chicken making it tough and chewy. 

4. Sauce

Always prep all ingredients before you begin to stir fry. The most important is the sauce mix. This allows you to taste and adjust the seasoning beforehand. Chinese cooking is all about speed. If you end up spending extra time adjusting the sauce while stir frying, you could overcook the whole dish!

5. Saute

Saute on high heat! Keep the heat as high as it can go and quickly stir fry all the mentioned ingredients. The high heat will ensure the aromatics and vegetables are tender but still remain crunchy. If you saute it for too long or on low heat, they tend to get soggy and lose all the natural crispness. 

6. Toss

The final step is to add the fried chicken and sauce mix and toss everything together. This is where all the magic happens. You can smell each ingredient and see the whole dish come to life in this step. As the sauce thickens, the elements all come together and get coated with a glossy sauce. And voila! Restaurant style Chilli Chicken made in the comfort of your own home.

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This recipe is really forgiving. The steps listed below are for dry chilli chicken, but you can easily make this with more gravy. All you'll need to do is double the ingredients for the sauce, use 1 cup water and cornflour. Then just proceed with the recipe as is.

This recipe is an absolute must if you love Indo-Chinese (yes that's a thing) as much as I do! If you are making gravy, serve it with some fried rice or Hakka noodles and you have a meal!