3 tbsp hot (spicy) sesame oil plus oil to saute chicken (divided)
1/4 Cup packed brown sugar
1/4 Cup pineapple juice
salt and white pepper to taste
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into julienne strips
about 3 inches long
flour to dredge chicken
For Sauce:
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup smooth or chunky peanut butter
Roasted peanuts and chopped green onions to garnish
How to make Chinese Peanut Chicken:
In bowl, mix soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, pineapple juice, salt and white pepper.
Add chicken strips and marinate 2 to 3 hours in refrigerator.
Drain and discard marinade.
Dredge in flour; shaking off excess flour.
Heat medium-size skillet, then add additional oil to coat skillet.
Saute chicken strips, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes each side.
In small saucepan, over low heat, combine butter and flour and mix until smooth.
Cook slowly until bubbly.
Add stock and increase heat to high.
When stock begins to thicken, add whipping cream and peanut butter, stirring until peanut butter is dissolved and sauce is creamy and the consistency of a heavy gravy.
Place chicken strips on plate, top with sauce and sprinkle with green onions and peanuts.
To prep the chicken breasts, butterfly them, and pound them with a meat pounder until they’re evenly flat.
In a large bowl, mix minced garlic, soy sauce, soy sauce , sugar, half of the 5 spice powder, white pepper.
Marinate the chicken in this sauce overnight.
Next day, add egg yolk and corn starch into the marinated chicken and mix it well.
This is what keeps the coating from separating from the chicken.
On a plate, mix sweet potato starch, rest of the 5 spice powder, and garlic powder.
This is the coating for the fried chicken.
Place the marinated chicken breasts on the plate one by one and coat it completely with the mix.
Let it sit for about 5 mins before frying so that the sweet potato starch has time to stick onto the chicken.
Heat a pot of frying oil under medium heat.
Make sure the oil is not bubbling or else it will cook the meat too fast.
If you’re using a deep fryer, do not exceed 160 C or 320 F.
Fry the chicken until golden brown and remove from the oil.
Turn the heat to high or around 180 C or 360 F.
Dip the fried chicken back in to the hot oil for about 10 seconds to give it crispiness.
Place it on a metal rack to drain out the excess oil, then cut it up to serve.
This is a dish for special occasions – not for any other reason except that it is rich! Its mild, thick, creamy gravy is inspired by the food of Central Asia and came to India during the rule of the famous Mughal dynasty. Cook and eat it and you will feel like royalty yourself!
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (about 1 kg)
1/4 cup oil
2 onions, sliced
1 tbsp chopped ginger
2 tbsp chopped garlic
6-8 dry red chillies
1 tsp tumeric powder
1 1/4 cups curd, whisked
4 black cardamoms
6 cloves
2 inch stick cinnamon
3 bay leaves
1/2 cup cashew nuts, ground to a paste
1 lime (juice)
1 egg
1/4 egg chopped coriander leaves
Salt to taste
How to make Chicken Mughlai:
Wash and clean the chicken and cut into 8 pieces.
Heat the oil in a pan and lightly brown the onions.
Drain onions, remove from pan and grind along with the ginger, garlic, red chillies and turmeric.
Mix half the ground spices with the curd and rub into the chicken.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add the whole spices and bay leaves.
Fry for a minute and pour this over the chicken.
Heat the remaining oil and add the remaining ground spices.
Fry until the oil floats on top.
Add the chicken and fry for 5-7 minutes until dry.
Pour in 1 cup water and cook until the chicken is tender.
Mix in cashew nut paste, stir once and remove from the heat.
Add lime juice and beaten egg and stir well until the egg coagulates and disperses in the gravy.
