Kung Pao Chicken 宮保鸡丁| Dumpling Sisters

chicken

🥗Healthier: tofu

💰Cheaper: chicken thighs

Tofu is a lower-calorie option, while chicken thighs are more budget-friendly.

peanuts

🥗Healthier: almonds

💰Cheaper: sunflower seeds

Almonds offer more nutrients, while sunflower seeds are often cheaper.

Cut 300g of chicken breast into nice chunky pieces.

In a bowl, combine chicken with a big pinch of bicarbonate of soda, 1 tablespoon of cornflour, 2 generous pinches of salt, and 2 tablespoons of water. Mix well with chopsticks.

Cover the bowl with clingfilm and refrigerate for half an hour.

Prepare the sauce by mixing 1.5 tablespoons of shaohsing rice wine, 1 tablespoon of chinkiang vinegar, 0.5 teaspoon of ground shinhwa pepper, 2 tablespoons of finely diced ginger, 2 cloves of finely diced garlic, a pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Mix until salt and sugar dissolve and set aside.

Heat a wok on low heat and add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add 3-4 large dried root chilis and let them bathe in the oil for about 30 seconds until they become plump and start to blacken. Scoop them out, leaving the oil in the pan.

Increase the heat to medium and add 50g of raw peanuts. Stir-fry for about 45 seconds, then scoop them out, leaving the oil behind.

Increase the heat to high and add the marinated chicken to the wok, spreading it out in a single layer. Let it sear until a caramelly crust forms on the bottom, then stir until the chicken is evenly colored and cooked through. Scoop the chicken out into a bowl.

Add the prepared sauce to the wok along with 3 tablespoons of water. Add the previously cooked chilis and peanuts back into the wok and let it simmer for a minute.

Once the sauce has reduced, add the chicken back into the wok and stir-fry for a further 3-4 minutes until the sauce coats the chicken in a dark slick. Finally, stir through some chopped green onions.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens