Arguably the most famous Hunan dish in the US, General Tso’s Chicken is essentially fried boneless chicken in a sweet and spicy sauce. I was introduced to this dish by my cousin in the US when she came to visit us. Now, every time I go to a Chinese restaurant, I end up ordering General Tso’s Chicken!!!
Ingredients
500 gram boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1 inch pieces)
4-5 dried red chillis
1 1/2 teaspoon ginger (ground)
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic (finely chopped)
2 cups peanut oil for deep-frying
2 cups cornstarch
Salt to taste
For marinade
2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 egg yolk
For sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste (mixed with 1 tablespoon water)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoon water
How To
Mix together the ingredients for the marinade. Coat the chicken pieces with this marinade and keep aside for 15 to 20 minutes.
Mix the ingredients for the sauce. Set aside.
Drain the excess marinade from the chicken and coat each piece with cornstarch. Heat the peanut oil in a wok until just smoking. Now add the first batch of chicken pieces and deep-fry until cooked through. This will take about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain the fried chicken pieces and keep aside. Repeat this process for the rest of the chicken pieces.
Drain all but 1 tablespoon of oil and reheat the wok over medium-heat. Add the dried chillis, garlic and ginger and stir-fry until chillis begin to blacken. Add the sauce mixture and stir for a couple of minutes until it thickens.
Put the fried chicken pieces in the wok and stir well to coat with sauce. Season with salt. Transfer the chicken to a serving dish. Garnish with scallions. Serve with white rice.
Source: www.appetiteforchina.com
General Tso’s Chicken
