Kong Pao Chicken (宫保鸡丁)

Post & Recipe in English and Chinese （中英食谱）

“Famous Kong Pao Diced Chicken, an exquisite flavoured chicken dish that you would enjoy so much! 宫保鸡丁，一份你一定享受的爆炒佳肴！”

Kong Pao chicken (also known as Kung Pao or Gong Bao Diced Chicken) is a popular dish in Singapore, and many other Asian countries. This dish is a Sichuan cuisine, I heard. And, it was named after an ancient palatial guardian in Qing Dynasty.

Kong Pao chicken dish uses stir-frying method. It supposed to make with diced chicken, cashew nuts and dried chili stir-fry with dark sauce. So, it has been originally called as Kong Pao Diced Chicken. However, this dish has been modified with many other versions using chunky chicken meat and peanut instead. All depends on your liking, especially homemade dish, right?!

宫保鸡丁，这家喻户晓的四川佳肴在新加坡也是无人不晓的菜色。尤其当着家常菜来煮，似乎是每个家庭都希望学会和能掌握好的事情。

Here’s my version of Kong Pao Chicken:

Serves 3-4
Ingredients
300g chicken meat with skin, diced
Handful of dried red chilies (about 10gram), deseed and trimmed
1 medium onion, cut into pieces
1 clove of garlic，thinly sliced
1 stalk of spring onion (scallion), cut
4 thin slices of young ginger

1 red chili, deseed and cut small
1 green chili, deseed and cut small
½ cup of roasted cashew nuts

1 tablespoon of Lea & Perrins’ Worcestershire Sauce
1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce (thick soy sauce)
1 tablespoon of light soy sauce
Pinch of salt and sugar
50ml of water

1 cup of oil (for oil-blanching)

Chicken Marination
1 tablespoon of light soy sauce
1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon of potato flour

1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch mixed in 1 tablespoon of water to make cornstarch slurry (to thicken sauce)

3-4人份
材料
300克 连皮鸡肉，切丁
10克 辣椒干，去籽切段
1粒 葱头，切块
1粒 蒜头，切薄片
1支 青葱，切段
4薄片 嫩姜

1根 红椒，去籽切片
1根 青椒，去籽切片
半杯 烤腰果

1汤匙 喼汁
1湯匙 黑醬油
1汤匙 酱清
适量 盐和糖
50毫升 清水

1杯 油 （汆油用途）

调味料
1汤匙 酱清
1茶匙 黑酱油

1汤匙 生粉

半茶匙 玉米粉加1汤匙水搅稀 （勾芡用途）

Method
(1) Season diced chicken with light and dark soy sauce. Marinate for about 15 min. Drizzle potato flour on marinated chicken.

(2) Heat wok with oil over high heat. Oil blanch chicken for 3 minutes, or until lightly crisped and browned. Remove and drain on strainer. Reserve for later.

(3) Remove excessive oil from wok, and leave only 1 teaspoon of oil in wok. Add dried chili, stir-fry over high heat for about 1 min,or until fragrant. Add in garlic, ginger, onion and the white bulb part of spring onion (keep the green stem part for later), continue frying for about 1 min.

4) Add chicken, and stir fry for 3 min. Bring down heat to medium fire. Drizzle dark soy sauce, followed by light soy sauce and Lea & Perrins’ Worcestershire sauce. Stir-fry to mix well, for another 2-3 mins.

(5) Add water, sprinkle salt and sugar, and continue frying for 1 min. Thicken sauce a little with cornstarch slurry. Add in chilis, green stem part of spring onion, and cashew nuts, and stir-fry for 10 seconds, before heat off. Serve with steamed white rice.

做法：
（1） 酱清和黑酱油腌制鸡肉丁，约15分钟。加入生粉。

（2） 高温热油。把腌制好的鸡丁汆油约3分钟，至金黄带脆。沥干油份，备用。

（3） 从锅里取出多余油，只留下1汤匙左右。加入辣椒干，炒香。加入蒜片，嫩姜，葱头，和葱白部分（蔥綠部分留下备用），炒香。

（4） 加入鸡丁，略炒3分钟。火温调中，立刻淋上黑酱油，接着酱和喼汁。爆炒2-3分钟。

（5） 加入水，撒上糖和盐，炒1分钟。勾芡，跟着加入青红辣椒，蔥綠和腰果，略炒10秒，炒拌均匀即可。配白米饭呈上桌。

This dish counts about 260kcal for 1 serving. You may skip the oil-blanching step (1), if lighter meal preferred. I have also removed chicken skin to make it even more healthy one (smiling)!
一份宫保鸡丁约260卡路里。 如果选择较健康的煮法，汆油步骤可省略。我也会去鸡皮的。

Tips: Deseeded dried red chili is not as spicy as you think. It’s ok to add more.
* Drizzle more water to make wetter dish, if you prefer more gravy in the dish. Then, thicken it with less cornstarch slurry.
* Make sure soy sauces are drizzled in dry wok before water is added so that the wok will be sizzled to create better aroma and stronger flavor in the cooking.
* Use of chicken breast or fillet for leaner option, if desired. For more tender meat, choose chicken thigh.

温馨贴士： 去籽辣椒干没想象中的辣。可以多加的。
* 想要煮湿一点的话，增加水量。勾芡时，少量就行。
* 务必记得煮的过程，热锅里定要先加入酱汁才倒水。这样的爆香煮法才正确。
* 要瘦的话，用鸡胸肉。要好吃嫩嫩的口感，选用去骨鸡腿肉。