Chindian special

Pushpesh Pant

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India’s relations with China have witnessed many ‘ups and downs’ across the past few years, but the popularity of Chinese food has remained unaffected by the vicissitudes of history. China, like India, has a diversity of regional cuisines each distinct from the other. The most popular in our land is the Schezuan repertoire with its penchant for chillies and ‘familiar’ spicy sweet and sour taste. This style of cooking has spawned many Chindian variations — Gujju, Punj, and Madrasi. The Bongs take pride in their own Cantonese (Tengra Kolkatan) legacy. What appeals to us most about this genre is the ease of cooking and its appeal to the eye. This time we bring to our readers a simple but immensely popular chicken recipe. Master it and enjoy it at home!

Chicken in Schezuan Sauce

Ingredients

Chicken breasts Boneless 300g 

(cut into small pieces)

Corn flour 1 tbsp

Sugar 1 tbsp

Onion 1 (medium sized, chopped)

Garlic 8-10 cloves (minced)

Ginger 1-inch piece 

(scraped and minced)

Soya sauce 1 tbsp

Vinegar 1 tbsp

Chilli flakes 2 tbsp

Oil 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method

Wash and pat dry the chicken. Put in a bag with corn flour and toss well to coat evenly. Heat oil in a thick skillet or pan and stir fry the chicken for about two minutes till it turns brown. Drain the oil and remove and place on kitchen towels. Stir fry the onions along with ginger and garlic for a minute and half. Thereafter, add vinegar, soya sauce, sugar, salt and chilli flakes. Pour 1/4 cup of water and bring it to a boil. As the sauce bubbles, add the chicken and cook uncovered for another two minutes. Stir constantly. Garnish with a large Schezuan pepper or stir fried whole red chilli. Serve with steamed rice.