Chicken in Honey-Chili Sauce

 Okay, first let me start by saying that you can easily replace chicken with cauliflower and enjoy this dish. Or, you can use soya chunks too. Either ways, this dish is delicious and easy to whip up. In fact, we love it so much, the appeal of going out and eating something like that has simply vanished. Also, because it's home-made you can over-indulge guilt-free. We never have leftovers which is a bit of a shame :D

Here's what you need to cater to 2 -3 people.

Ingredients

250 grams boneless chicken blocks (replace with mid-sized cauliflower pieces if you are vegetarian)
1 green chili chopped
1 green/yellow/red bell pepper (whatever you have) de-seeded and chopped into thin slices
1/2 tablespoon shredded ginger
1/2 tablespoon chopped ginger
1 teaspoon white pepper powder (replace with regular black pepper powder if unavailable)  for marination + 1/2 teaspoon for sauce
1 egg beaten roughly
1/2 teaspoon oil for marination+ 1 tablespoon extra for frying and sauce.
1/4 teacup of honey
2 teaspoons roasted sesame seeds
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon soya sauce (use the less salt version)
1/2 teacup chicken/vegetable stock
Salt to taste and for marination
1/2 teacup cornflour (you can use a mix of self-raising flour + rice flour if you don't have cornflour.)
1 spring onion chopped up. Keep white separate.
1 teaspoon dried celery leaves

Method

In a big glass bowl, add the beaten egg, salt and pepper powder, shredded ginger, oil and corn flour.

Add the chicken blocks and mix well.

Use cling wrap film and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, add oil in a wok and heat it up.

Add the chicken blocks one by one.

Fry them till they are crispy. Keep them on a paper towel covered plate to blot off the extra oil.

Now on to the sauce.

In the same wok, add a little bit more oil.

Add the whites of the spring onion, ginger pieces, dried celery leaves and the green chili.

Saute well. Add the bell pepper slices next and stir fry.

Add the vegetable/chicken stock next along with the honey and remaining pepper powder. Allow to cook for 8 minutes or so.

Add the fried chicken next.

Stir it well so that the honey sauce coat the pieces well.

Add the white wine vinegar and soya sauce next.

Mix well . Cover and allow to simmer on low for 8 minutes.

After 8 minutes, take off the cover.

Top with sesame seeds and greens of the spring onion.

Mix well and serve hot.

Tastes great with burnt garlic fried rice or regular steamed rice.


I know I should have taken process shots like I always do but with the new house, I am in a rush to cook and get on to setting things up. It's a slow process now with several restrictions in place. We are taking it a day at a time. Hope you all are doing well.

 I will update the post with pictures when I make it next. If you have questions, feel free to leave a comment below or email me at aajisthaali@gmail.com