Kung pao chicken recipe

A Chinese takeaway favourite, kung pao chicken is easy to make at home. Photo / Fresh Media

This is an ideal meal when you are craving something with a spicy, sweet, savoury kick, but don’t have a lot of time to spare. Aromatic Sichuan peppers have their own, unique spiciness, quite different to chilli peppers. Cut the amount back if you’re not sure how the family will cope with their slightly numbing effect.

Kung pao chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients

500g chicken thighs

Kung pao sauce

2 tsp cornflour

1 ½ Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp spiced vinegar

3 Tbsp brown sugar

½ tsp sesame oil

⅓ cup water

Stir fry

1 red capsicum, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 green capsicum, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 Tbsp Sichuan peppercorns

1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

4 garlic cloves minced

4 green onions, sliced

½ cup roasted peanuts

1 tsp sesame seeds

cooking oil

Method

1. Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces.
2. In a bowl, combine the soy sauce and cornflour and mix until smooth. Add the spiced vinegar, brown sugar, and sesame oil, and mix 2 tablespoons of the mixture through the chicken pieces. Leave for 20 minutes to marinate.
3. Add the water to the remaining sauce mixture.
4. Heat a large frying pan or wok with oil. Fry the chicken until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
5. Add the minced ginger, garlic, Sichuan peppercorns and capsicums to the same pan and cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the sauce. When the sauce begins to thicken, add the chicken and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
6. Add the green onions and peanuts and cook for a further 2 minutes. Serve immediately with steamed white rice.

– fresh.co.nz