Sweet & Sour Chicken (Desi Chinese Style)

Sweet & Sour Chicken (Desi Chinese Style)

Crispy chicken breast cubes simmered in a special sauce

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Desi chinese

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

Chicken:

• 2.5 lbs chicken breasts cut into medium chunks
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• oil as needed for frying

Sauce:

• 4 cup water
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tsp chili garlic sauce
• 1/2 tsp garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
• 1 tbsp chopped scallion for garnish

Instructions

 

Chicken:

• Combine chicken with all the ingredients listed under "Chicken" except for egg, cornstarch, and oil. Let it marinate if you have the time. Right before frying, mix in the egg and cornstarch.
• Shallow or deep fry in batches until the chicken pieces are crispy and cooked through. Set aside.

Sauce:

• In a saucepan, combine all the ingredients listed under "Sauce" except cornstarch, toasted sesame seeds, and chopped scallion. Let it come to a boil.
• Make a slurry by mixing cornstarch with a little bit of water in a cup. Pour the slurry into the sauce and stir well. Adjust seasonings.
• Add the chicken pieces to the sauce and simmer for 10 minutes. Cook uncovered if you want it to be drier until you reach the desired consistency.
• Garnish with toasted sesame seeds (optional) and chopped scallions.

Keyword butter chicken, desi chinese, sweet and sour chicken

Desi Chinese Style of Cooking

Before I talk about this Sweet & Sour Chicken, let’s first ask: what is Desi Chinese cuisine? Also called Indo-Chinese cuisine, this is a popular fusion style of cooking that’s a cuisine all on its own. Originating from Chinese migrants in Kolkata, India, the flavors of Chinese cooking married the spice-rich palate of South Asian cooking to create the most phenomenal fusion!

Sweet & Sour Chicken

There are many versions of sweet & sour chicken out there, but this particular one is drawn from my memories of my mom making Desi Chinese feasts on special occasions. This dish is a family favorite! It goes so well either fried rice or plain white rice. I actually prefer it with plain white rice. That way I get to really taste the flavors of that special sauce!

The Steps, in a Nutshell

This recipe is a two-part one. First, you season the chicken well (adding cornstarch for crispiness!) and fry the pieces. Then you make a smooth, flavorful sauce and simmer the chicken in the sauce. The sauce is super simple to make–just combine all the ingredients and simmer. The toasted sesame seeds add a delicious layer to this dish, but this is optional.

And Finally…

If you try out this dish, don’t forget to leave a star rating and comment below. And please share your work with me on Instagram!

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