Chilli chicken recipe - learn to make chilli chicken with step by step pictures.

Chinese Style Chilli Chicken is one of the most sought after dish, and the best thing about this recipe is that it is low calorie......guilt free yummy chilli chicken for you!

Chilli chicken is a popular Indo-Chinese dish and popular across the globe. This particular recipe is a healthy version of chilli chicken, the chicken pieces are not fried in oil in this recipe.

Amma got this chilli chicken recipe back in the late 80's when she attended a cookery class, and at that time chilli (chilly) chicken was in rage along with fried rice. Chinese food has already taken in by Indians and restaurants started show casing them....yes!! Chinese food was in!!

I actually wanted to share this recipe before Easter, but then sometimes things do not go the way I plan. Easter weekend was spent lazying with Homey and kids....watching movies and cooking and reading. Homey gifted me a book  by Dr. Brian Weiss "Many lives, Many Masters' and I was so engrossed in that book (with my feet propped up on my favorite fluffy pillow) reading that book changed a whole lot of perspective of life; atleast the way I used to view it...and it definitely made me think a lot...you should try reading it.... incase you make up your mind to read it...I have included the amazon link (this is an affliate link)

Happiness is really rooted in simplicity. The tendency to excessiveness in thought and action diminishes happiness....so this Easter was all about Simplicity!! I took a break from blogging and spent really good time with family and that sort of gave me the positive energy I needed.

Okay, back to the recipe....this chilli or is it chilly?? chicken is so good...I practically grew up on this...and as you might be familiar.. usually for chilli chicken, the chicken is batter fried in oil and devouring each piece literally will make your favorite jeans or salwar tight! Okay, you heard me, you can indulge in my chilli chicken without a thought! as the chicken is not batter fried and the whole curry is made with less oil.....and that calls for guilt free indulgence...yet, have a restaurant feel but minus the synthetic flavorings and artificial food colorings.....and that makes it every bit healthy too.

A word about bone-in-chicken, I like to use them in my curries and always asks my butcher to cut them into small pieces when I plan to make chilli chicken, but if you do not favor, you can use boneless chicken cut into small pieces.

This my favorite chilli chicken and I am sure this will be your favorite too.

Chilli chicken recipe - learn to make chilli chicken with step by step pictures.

Put the chicken pieces into a pressure cooker with salt and 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice, pressure cook for just 1 whistle and switch off the fire....release the steam.

Open cooker and remove the stock to a bowl or glass. (do not over cook the chicken)

 Cube the onions and capsicum. Slice the green chillies and garlic cloves.

Into a kadai or wok, add in oil, once it heats up add in the sliced garlic cloves.

Then dunk in the cubed onions and green chillies. Stir or toss for a min...add a tsp of salt (the flame is on high)

We do not need the onions to cook through or change colour....just stir fry is what we need...so that a little bit of crunchiness is retained.

Put the flame on low, and remove them to another plate....there will be oil left in the kadai.

Again do the same with cubed capsicum and sprinkle a bit of salt (with the flame high, ofcourse) and then remove it on to a plate.

 Into the same kadai, add in the cooked chicken....with flame on high...stir it for a minute or two, so that it is lightly fried.

Then spread the chicken to the sides, and oil will come up in the middle (including fat from chicken). Add in 2 to 2 1/2 tsp of Kashmiri chilli powder (if using ordinary chilli powder, reduce by half)

Mix the red chilli with a spatula or spoon into the oil in the middle, so that the raw flavor diminishes.

Now mix them all up nicely....so that the chicken is nicely coated with chilli powder. Put the flame on low, otherwise the chilli will start to get burnt and changes color.

Add in 1 tbsp soy sauce...mix well.

Add in 2 tbsp tomato sauce.

Mix well.

Add in the onion-capsicum...toss or mix...whatever you are good at.

Mix 1 tbsp cornflour into the chicken stock...(if stock is very less, can add little water)

Pour this into the chicken (this makes the gravy). Mix well.

The gravy will start to thicken, simmer the fire....add in 1 tsp sugar...or 1/2 tsp if you prefer.

Adjust the gravy according to your preference, I added a little more water....sprinkle chopped green onions or spring onion.
Spicy chilli chicken is so easy to make......so no more takeaways!!
Serve hot!

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Chilli Beef Recipe
Easy Fried Rice Recipe
Shrimp Fried Rice Recipe
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Chilli Chicken Recipe / How To Make Chilli Chicken Recipe

PREP TIME: 10 mins    |  COOK TIME: 15 mins    |  AUTHOR:: NISA HOMEY

   

  INGREDIENTS

• Bone-in-Chicken: 750 gms (Cut into small pieces)
• Vinegar: 1 tbsp or juice of half medium sized lemon
• Onion: 3, cut into cubes
• Green chilli: 3, sliced
• Garlic: 6 cloves, sliced
• Capsicum: half, cubed
• Kashmiri chilly powder: 2 tsp (I used 2 1/2 tsp)
• Tomato sauce: 2 tbsp
• Soy sauce: 1 tbsp
• Sugar: 1/2 to 1 tsp
• Cornflour: 1 tbsp (mix in about 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken stock)
• Salt: To taste
• Refined Oil: 2 1/2 to 3 tbsp
• Spring onion: 1 tbsp chopped to garnish

  METHOD:

1. Put the chicken pieces into a pressure cooker with salt and 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice, pressure cook for just 1 whistle and switch off the fire and release the steam.
2. Open cooker and remove the stock to a bowl or glass. (do not over cook the chicken).
3. Cube the onions and capsicum. Slice the green chillies and garlic cloves.
4. Into a kadai or wok, add in oil, once it heats up add in the sliced garlic cloves.
5. Then dunk in the cubed onions and green chillies. Stir or toss for a min...add a tsp of salt (the flame is on high).
6. We do not need the onions to cook through or change colour, just stir fry is what we need, so that a little bit of crunchiness is retained.
7. Put the flame on low, and remove them to another plate there will be oil left in the kadai.
8. Again do the same with cubed capsicum and sprinkle a bit of salt (with the flame high, ofcourse) and then remove it on to a plate.
9. Into the same kadai, add in the cooked chicken, with flame on high stir it for a minute or two, so that it is lightly fried.
10. Then spread the chicken to the sides, and oil will come up in the middle (including fat from chicken). Add in 2 to 2 1/2 tsp of Kashmiri chilli powder (if using ordinary chilli powder, reduce by half).
11. Mix the red chilli with a spatula or spoon into the oil in the middle, so that the raw flavor diminishes.
12. Now mix them all up nicely, so that the chicken is nicely coated with chilli powder. Put the flame on low, otherwise the chilli will start to get burnt and changes color.
13. Add in 1 tbsp soy sauce, mix well. Add in 2 tbsp tomato sauce and mix well. Add in the onion-capsicum and mix well.
14. Mix 1 tbsp cornflour into the chicken stoc, (if stock is very less, can add little water). Pour this into the chicken (this makes the gravy). Mix well.
15. The gravy will start to thicken, simmer the fire add in 1 tsp sugar or 1/2 tsp if you prefer.
16. iAdjust the gravy according to your preference, I added a little more water, sprinkle chopped green onions or spring onion. Serve hot with fried rice.

NOTES

• If the gravy becomes thick, when it cools down , you can thin out by adding little warm water.
• I would advise to use Kashmiri chilli powder as it will bring out a fiery red color, pls note that I have not used any artificial colorings or flavorings.
• You can increase or decrease the sauces by about half a tbsp according to your taste though if you feel that you like a bit more sourness, it is best to add in a tad bit of vinegar or lime juice than soy sauce as adding more soy sauce might make the color dark.

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