RESEPI 52: GENERAL TSO'S CHICKEN

GENERAL TSO'S CHICKEN VS KUNG PAO CHICKEN

My Style of General Tso’s chicken

These two Chinese chicken favorites might sound or look similar but both are different. General Tso’s chicken is battered, deep fried, and cooked with a sweet and slightly spicy with a kick from garlic and ginger. Kung Pao chicken, on the other hand, is not deep fried and instead is wok seared and cooked with a marinade. It packs in extra veggies and is topped with peanuts, a source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.

General Tso’s chicken is my favorite Chinese dish because it is easy to make and incredibly flavorful.

Now, let’s check it out the recipe!!

INGREDIENTS

1 bowl bone/less skinless chicken, cut into 3/4-inch chunks

1 large egg white, beaten until frothy

1/2 cup spice flour – Brand PUAS or BESTARI

3 tablespoons sweet soy sauce

2 tablespoons OYSTER sauce

2 tablespoons chili sauce

2 tablespoons chili paste

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoons white vinegar

3 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoon peeled and finely chopped ginger

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon cornstarch

10 spicy dried red chiles, broken in half

1-2 Holland onion – cut into 4 sizes

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan.

Combine chicken and egg white in a bowl. Mix in the spice flour a little bit at a time until the chicken are well coated.

In batches, carefully drop the chicken cubes into the hot oil one by one, cooking until they turns deep golden brown. Remove the chicken and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

In the same oil, fry the dry chilies about 1 minute. Remove and drain the oil.

For the sauce, heat 2- 3 tablespoons oil in a wok over medium. Add garlic and ginger.  Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add chili paste and cook for 5 minutes. Then add sweet soy sauce, oyster sauce, chili sauce, sugar, and vinegar and sesame oil. Bring to a boil and cook about 3 minutes.

Dissolve the cornstarch into the water, and stir into the boiling sauce. Return to a boil and cook until the sauce thickens and is no longer cloudy from the cornstarch, about 1 minute.

Add chicken and toss to coat in sauce.

Reduce heat to low and cook for a few minutes until the chicken absorbs some of the sauce.

Last but not least, add the fried dry chilies and Holland onion. Stir a bit. Done!!