Sweet and Sour Chicken / Pineapple Chicken - With stepwise pictures - International Food Challenge

This is the first challenge givne by Saras of Saras Kitchen and Shobana of  "Kitchen secrets and Snippets" for the International Challenge. Out of these recipes from "Cantonese Cuisine", this sweet and sour chicken grabbed my attention. So prepared this with pineapple. The chicken was so yummy with a hint of sweet ness together with sourness. It was a complete meal with fried rice.We enjoyed it a lot. 

Prep time: 15 to 20 min

Cooking time: 10 min

Recipe referred from: http://www.smokywok.com/2011/01/sweet-and-sour-pork-recipe.html

 

Ingredients:
1.1/ ~ ½ kg pound boneless chicken, cut into 1 “ pieces
2.Oil to deep fry the chicken
3.Sesame oil 1tbsp.

For making sauce:

1.  ketchup      - 4 tbsp 
2.  chilli sauce - 3 tbsp
3. . plum sauce  -  3 tsps. else substitute with 1 tbsp. Tomato Ketchup+ 1or 2 tsp. Vinegar, adjust according to the sourness u may like + 1 tsp. brown sugar
4.  light soy sauce  - 1 tsp.  
5. water                - 2 tbsps
6. Sugar                  - 1 tsp. (add more sugar and check tasting after the first to see if you want to add more sugar)
7. Pineapple juice  - 2 tbsp. (optional)

Original recipe calls for plum sauce for a deep flavor of the original Cantonese version.
 

 

 To marinate:

• 1 tsp. corn flour
• 1 tsp. custard powder
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• White pepper powder, to taste
• 1 tsp Soy sauce   

* Add a tsp. of water if needed, I don’t think it will be necessary.
* Marinate the chicken with the above ingredients for about 10 minutes.  Use your hands to mix well.

To dredge the chicken:

3 tbsps. All purpose (plain) flour
3 tbsps. Corn flour
2 tbsps. Rice flour

* Gather all the flour in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.

Vegetables:

1 large red onion 
1 Green  capsicum
1 red  pepper
½ cup pineapple chunks (skip if it’s unavailable)

* Dice the veggie’s into ½” pieces. Set aside.


Method:
* Heat enough oil in a sauce pan to the medium heat . Dip the marinated chicken pieces in the flour, shake off the excess flour .

*  Deep fry until it is 50 % cooked, remove from the drain and drain on a kitchen tissue.
 Let them cool for 10 minutes.

Again fry the half cooked chicken in batches until it is almost cooked, say for a minute. The texture should be crisp and light golden in colour. Cool the fried chicken for another 10 minutes or so.

* Strain the fried chicken on a kitchen towel. This way all the excess oil is shedded.

* Heat about 1 tbsp. of sesame oil on a separate pan.  Sauté  the onion and red chilli peppers, cucumber, capsicum, until fragrant.

 

* Now add soy sauce, ketchup, chilli sauce and plum sauce. If you can't get this sauce, just skip it.Add sugar and pineapple juice . Don't cook the sauce too much ,if not the veges will become too soggy. At last add the fried chicken and give it a toss.

 

 

* The chicken can be made semi gravy,by adding some chicken broth or had it dry ,like this . This chicken goes very well with fried rice.The veges can be added according to our taste .