Kolkata-Style Spicy Chili Chicken

We all have iconic nostalgic dishes stashed somewhere in our operating universe, for one is the fish fry made by mother, but, like most people so are many dishes that mom never messed around with, and high on my list is also the chili chicken. The chili chicken I speak of is an Indo-Chinese classic with a most beautiful aroma.

I call this genre of cuisine Indo-Chinese, however, growing up I knew no other kind of Chinese food, so dishes like the chili chicken, hakka noodles, cauliflower Manchurian and dishes such as that all formed an amazing assortment of dishes that really had very Chinese sounding names. It was an amazing collection of dishes that was ultimate food nirvana, and it is still a thing that I must indulge in every time I go to India.

Now, as with all fusion dishes there is really no set formula, the key is to balance the umami taste of the soy sauce with fiery hot chilies. Also, fair warning – this dish is very spicy, so make sure you find the level that fits your palate. Not everyone can take Indian level of mouth-fire.

How to Make Kolkata Spicy Chicken

Cut the chicken into 1 by 1 inch pieces and wash and dry throughly.

Rub the chicken with the ginger-garlic paste and the red cayenne pepper and salt.

Rub the chicken with the cornstarch and water. The objective here is to have a thin and uniform coating.

Heat the oil, the best tool for this is a wide bottomed non-stick wok. Place all the chicken in a single layer, you may need two batches for this purpose. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels.

To prepare the sauce, heat the tablespoon of oil and add in the sliced garlic and cook for about a minute until pale golden. Add in the soy sauce, vinegar, water and the cornstarch and bring to simmer. It should be reasonably thick. Add in the chicken and the sliced chillies and toss for about 2 minutes.

Garnish with additional chilies and cilantro and serve hot with steamed rice

Kolkata-Style Spicy Chili Chicken

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5 from 2 reviews

Author: Rinku Bhattacharya
Total Time: 45 mins
Yield: Serves 4

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Description

A beautiful balance of soy sauce and fiery chilis, this awesome recipe combines Indo-Chinese vibes with chicken for great flavor and an even better aroma.

Ingredients

Units

For the Chicken

1 1/2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
1 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water (maybe a little more if needed)
1/4 cup oil for frying

For the sauce

1 tablespoon oil
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoons chili sauce (such as sriracha)
25 chilies, sliced lengthwise
Extra chilies to garnish
Cilantro to garnish

Instructions

Cut the chicken into 1 by 1 inch pieces and wash and dry throughly.
Rub the chicken with the ginger-garlic paste and the red cayenne pepper and salt.
Rub the chicken with the cornstarch and water. The objective here is to have a thin and uniform coating.
Heat the oil, the best tool for this is a wide bottomed non-stick wok. Place all the chicken in a single layer, you may need two batches for this purpose. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels.
To prepare the sauce, heat the tablespoon of oil and add in the sliced garlic and cook for about a minute until pale golden. Add in the soy sauce, vinegar, water and the cornstarch and bring to simmer. It should be reasonably thick. Add in the chicken and the sliced chillies and toss for about 2 minutes.
Garnish with additional chilies and cilantro and serve hot with steamed rice