Gong Bao or in colloquial term kung pao chicken is a Sichuan cuisine from the Sichuan province of China. Said to have named after Ding Baozen the late Qing Dynasty official, his title was Gong Bao or the palatial guardian.And although at some province it was a strict no-no because of its political association, in the US this is a national hit; oh, count India on that too!
Ingredients:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Marinade
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry or cooking wine
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Other Ingredients
- 8 small dried red chili peppers
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 green onions
- 4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed
- 1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorn, optional
- A few drops sesame oil, optional
Procedure:
Cut the chicken into 1” cubes and combine with the marinating ingredients, with addition of cornstarch at last. You must marinade your chicken for at least an hour.
Meanwhile, prepare sauce.
In a small bowl, combine the dark soy sauce, rice wine, and sugar. Slit the chilies in half and de-seed them. Cut them in 1” length. Similarly chop the green onions and garlic.
In a wok over medium heat, add 2 tbsp of oil and stir fry the chicken until 80% cooked. Strain and keep aside.
To the same wok, add another 2 tbsp of oil and stir fry the garlic. Add chili and Szechuan peppercorns and stir fry them till dark red.
Add sauce to this and get to a boil. Add the chicken back into the wok and stir in the green onion.
Remove from heat after about 10 minutes, pour sesame oil and serve hot.