Kung Pao Chicken 宫保鸡丁

I like to order Kung Pao Chicken (宫保鸡丁, Gong Bao Ji Ding ) when we take meal at Esquire Kitchen restaurant (personally i feel they serve best Kung Pao chicken). At the same time, I also like to cook this dish at home, and this dish is easy to prepare and yet very delicious..

Usually i will add cashew nuts but when i saw Terri (A Daily Obsession) added peanuts to this dish. I agreed with Terri, peanuts is far better than cashew nuts after i tried out..

Eventhough i added 1 cup of dried chilies, my little son Desmond has no problem to take this yummy dish.

Kung Pao Chicken宫保鸡丁
(recipe source: largely adapted from A Daily Obsession with minor changes)

Ingredients
450g chicken breast
2tsp finely chopped garlic
2tsp finely chopped ginger

5 sprigs of spring onion/scallion, cut 2” in lengths

1tsp Sichuan peppercorns, optional

1cup dried chilies, cut into 1”-2” lengths

50g roasted peanuts

For the chicken marinate
2tsp light soy sauce
1/2tsp salt
2tsp Chinese cooking wine
1tbsp tapioca flour/cornstarch
1 small egg white

For the sauce

1tbsp white rice vinegar

1tbsp tomato ketchup
2tbsp dark soy sauce
2tbsp sugar
2tbsp water
1tsp cornstarch

Method
1. Cut the chicken meat into small cubes, marinate with the ingredients above for 1hour or more.
2. Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Heat up a non-stick wok over high heat with 1 cup of cooking oil and lightly fry the marinated chicken until they are 80% cook (1-2mins). Drain out and set aside.
4. Remain around 5tbsp of oil, add in Sichuan peppercorns and stir fry over low heat till aroma.
5. Discard the fried peppercorns, add in dried chilies, fry over low heat, until crisp but not burnt (color changed to dark red).
6. Add in white part of spring onion, chopped garlic and ginger, quickly mix well.
7. Return cooked chicken to the wok, pour in the sauce, stirring all the time at high heat.
8. When the sauces is thickening, then add in green spring onion and peanuts, quickly combine well and dish out.

Happy Cooking !!