Dragon Chicken Restaurant Style

 

Dragon Chicken is a contemporary Indochinese dish wherein chicken strips are marinated, fried and then tossed in a spicy, sweet and tangy sauce loaded with crisp cashews, onions and peppers. A lovely starter or as a side dish to fried rice, noodles etc. 

 I have no idea about the origin of this recipe but somehow I believe that the dish must have acquired its name from the appearance of the chicken strips (dragon like when marinated and fried) and its fiery color and taste (when it is tossed in a spicy , tangy and sweet sauce). Whatever said or done this is a super tasty dish, something that we always order when we eat out at any Indochinese eatery. 

I have tried recreating it at home several times( I have uploaded a dragon chicken recipe long before on the blog) for the kids but then the love for the restaurant ones never subsided, until I made it this way:). Now this is favorite at home, something that very closely tastes like the restaurant ones.

Ingredients

250 gm boneless chicken, cut into thin long strips

For the marination

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp dark soy sauce

1  1/2 tsp red chili paste

1  1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 egg

3 tsp cornflour

2  1/2 Tbsp all purpose flour

oil for frying

For the sauce

2 1/2 Tbsp oil

10- 12 cashew nuts, chopped roughly

3 whole red chilies

a handful of sliced red and green capsicum

1/2 onion sliced

1  1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste

1  1/2 tsp red chili paste

1/4 cup tomato ketchup

1  1/2 tso soy sauce(dark)

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1  1/2 to 2 Tbsp water 

Method

• Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients mentioned under marination and marinate for 15 minutes.
• Heat oil and fry the marinated chicken strips until golden brown on all sides.
• To prepare the sauce, in another pan, heat oil(you can take from the oil used to fry the chicken). Add the chopped cashew nuts and red chilies.
• Fry for a few seconds. Then add the onions and sliced capsicums. Fry on high heat for a few seconds.
• Add the ginger garlic paste and red chili paste. Saute for few seconds.
• Add the tomato ketchup, followed by soy sauce. Mix everything well.
• Add salt, sugar and water. Mix well.
• Toss in the fried chicken. Mix well so that the the sauce coats the chicken pieces well. Fry for 1-2 minutes on high heat.
• Serve hot as a starter or with fried rice, noodles, white rice etc.