Yum! Yum! Yum!: Kung Pao Chicken ~ Simple Recipes (Under 15 Min)

Apr 17, 2018

Kung Pao Chicken ~ Simple Recipes (Under 15 Min)

I love Kung Pao chicken as this is one Chinese dish loaded with spicy flavor on Chinese Menu that suits my Indian Tastebuds. :-) I always go for this dish on the Panda Express Menu for a take out. Though I love this dish, never experimented thinking the recipe might be complicated. But when I tasted this at one of our friends house, it was mind blowing and exactly tasted close to Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken. My friend is generous enough to share the recipe and assured it is very easy and perfect as quick appetizer on the menu to please your guests or crowd. This recipe calls for all simple ingredients that are readily available in your pantry, But Hoissan Sauce is the critical ingredient to get the authentic taste in this recipe. Make sure that you have that sauce handy before you try this recipe. Here is the recipe, Njoy!

Ingredients:
Chicken Breasts - 2 medium ( 1 lb)
Soy Sauce - 1 Tbsp
Corn Starch - 1 Tbsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Black Pepper - 1/4 tsp

Sauce:
Soy Sauce - 2 Tbsp
Hoissan Sauce - 1 Tbsp
Red Chili Sauce - 2 tsp ( i have used sriracha)
Brown Sugar - 1 /4 tsp

Saute:
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Garlic - 1 tsp ( chopped, minced)
Ginger - 1 tsp (chopped, minced)
Green Chili - 3 ( chopped finely) - Optional
Whole Red Chili - 5 to 6 ( medium size)
Green Bell Pepper - 1/2 medium (2 Tbsp)
Red Bell Pepper - 1/2 medium ( 2 Tbsp)

Peanuts - 1/4 cup

Preparatory Steps:

First cut chicken breast into small pieces, wash and add them to medium bowl. Add salt and black pepper rub it well to chicken pieces. Add 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce and 1 Tbsp Corn starch to the bowl, mix well until all chicken pieces are coated well. Cover the bowl with lid and let it sit aside allowing chicken to marinate.
Take a small bowl, add all the ingredients under Sauce section in that order. Whisk well and keep it aside. Kung Pao sauce is ready.
Mince Garlic and Ginger and keep them ready
Chop green chili into small pieces. Chop Green Bell Pepper and Red Bell Pepper into medium size cubes.

Method:

Heat stove, place a wok or wide pan on the flame and add 1 tsp oil to it. Once the oil is hot, add peanuts to the pan and saute for 3 min until nuts are roasted. Take them out, transfer to wide plate allowing them to cool, once they are cooled, roughly chop the peanuts and set aside.
In the same pan, add marinated chicken and cook on both sides until chicken gets tender and soft. (probably takes 5 min). Once chicken is cooked transfer them to a plate.
In the same pan, add remaining oil to it. Add minced garlic, ginger and chopped green chili. Saute for couple of min, then add Whole Red Chili and saute for couple of min, now the oil gets infused with all the spices.
Now add chopped bell pepper cubes and mix with spices. Then add sauteed chicken to the pan mix well with veggies.
Pour the Kung Pao Sauce on all over the chicken and veggies in the pan. Coat chicken well with sauce on all sides. Keep the flame on high and stir-fry for 2 min.
Top with chopped roasted peanuts and switch off the stove, transfer to wide plate and serve hot immediately.

Notes:

This dish tastes good when it is hot, serve immediately when it is hot. If it gets cooled off, heat it up once before you serve to guests.
This can be paired with any vegetable fried rice or noodles or even this tastes good as it is and can be served as Appetizer.
It is better to add nuts in a separate bowl and add right before you serve it, otherwise nuts become soggy in the sauce and loose crunchiness.
If you have nut allergies you can totally skip peanuts and can replace with sesame seeds to add some crunch.