Ayi’s Recipes: Kung Pao Chicken

Welcome back to the Ayi’s Recipes food series. Last week Ayi Yuan and I gave you Mapo Tofu, and this week we are sharing our recipe for one of China’s most loved and sought-after dishes, Kung Pao Chicken. This sticky, sweet, and spicy medley of chicken, leek, and cucumber has to be in the top-five list of my favorite Chinese dishes. There is a reccurring theme that you may have noticed so far in my choice of recipes – I like a dish to pack a punch in flavor, and chili will always be a part of the mix!

If you’ve not already taken advantage of the plethora of markets packed full of traditional Chinese ingredients dotted around this city, now is the time. You’re living in one the most colorful and diverse hubs when it comes to cuisine, and what better place to experiment with your cooking skills?

Chinese fare is as dynamic as this nation and is centered on time-old traditions, folklore, fanfare, and family. Learn, brush up, or fine-tune existing Chinese cooking techniques and knowledge with your ayi – don’t have an ayi? Follow this series and use these simple recipes to start your own cooking journey at home.

Get familiar with the basics of the dish

Ingredients

 1 large chicken breast, diced.

1 cup chopped leek

1/2 cup spring onions (optional)

1/2 cup diced cucumber

1 tbsp. ginger

1/2 cup peanuts

1/2 cup Sichuan chili

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

2 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tbsp. Chinese yellow wine vinegar

1.5 tbsp. corn flour

1/2 cup peanut oil

1/2 cup distilled lukewarm water

This dish is all about stir-frying. Keep it moving

Instructions

1. Add a teaspoon of corn flour, 1 tablespoon of soy, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of Chinese yellow wine vinegar to the diced chicken. Mix well and set aside.
2. Use a Wok and heat the peanut oil over a medium-high heat and add the peanuts. Stir-fry for 5 minutes until aromatic, drain and set aside.
3. Roughly chop the Sichuan chili and add to the oil with the ginger, leek and cucumber. Stir-fry for a few minutes until the leek and cucumber begin to soften.
4. Add the diced chicken and stir-fry until sealed and golden brown
5. Stir the remaining corn flour into the distilled water and add to the wok.
6. Add and stir in the remaining Chinese yellow wine vinegar, salt, and soy sauce
7. Add the sugar and stir in until the sauce begins to thicken. Add more corn flour if needed to make a thicker sauce. Continue to stir-fry for 2 minutes.
8. Add the peanuts and stir-fry for a further 2 minutes. Dish out the Kung Pao Chicken and serve!

The result should be a steaming bowl of deliciousness

Top Tips:There are a number of variations of this dish, and sometimes I like to add chopped celery and carrots. These would go in with the leeks and stir-fried until soft before adding the chicken. For a spicier dish add fresh red chili, or omit the chili altogether for a milder version. The same goes for the sugar. Add more for a sweeter and stickier sauce, or less for more of a savory version.

Photos: Nicole Bonnah