Kung Pao Chicken

Recipe: Kung Pao Chicken宫保鸡丁

Serves: 2

Ingredients

300g skinless, boneless chicken breast ¼ cup to ½ cup unsalted roasted blanched peanuts or cashew nuts 2 to 5 dried chilies 2 slices ginger (about 3cm each) 2 to 3 cloves garlic (minced) 3 TBSP peanut oil or vegetable oil 1 stalk spring onion (halved to separate white and green parts)	Gravy 1 TBSP soy sauce ½ TBSP oyster sauce ½ tsp. meat curry powder *optional 1½ tsp. sugar 1/8 tsp. salt 1½ TBSP distilled vinegar ¼ cup water spring onion (white part; chopped diagonally)
Marinade ½ TBSP soy sauce 1/8 tsp. pepper 2 tsp. tapioca starch or corn starch	Gravy Thickening ½ tsp. tapioca starch or corn starch 1 tsp. water
Garnishing spring onion (green part; chopped diagonally into 1" sections)

Measurements: tsp. = teaspoon | TBSP = tablespoon

Preparation
1. Remove stems and seeds from dried chilies, cut into 1.5-inches sections. Mince garlic. Prepare 2 slices ginger and ¼ cup roasted peanuts. Halve spring onion to divide green and white parts, chop diagonally. Combine all ingredients of the marinade in a bowl. Mix gravy thickening in a small bowl.	2. Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes.	3. Combine chicken and the marinade in a bowl. Toss to coat chicken evenly. Leave to marinate for 5 to 15 minutes.
4. Heat up 3 TBSP oil in a skillet. Drop chicken cubes into the hot oil and fry over medium high heat until golden brown (turning occasionally).	5. Push chicken to aside in skillet. Add minced garlic, ginger slices, and dried chilies; stir-fry over medium high heat until garlic turn golden brown, about 1 minute.	6. Stir in gravy. Simmer over medium high heat until gravy comes to a boil, about 2 minutes.
7. Remove ginger slices.	8. Add in roasted peanuts. Toss to combine. Cover with lid and let simmer over medium heat for another 1 minutes or until chicken cooked.	9. Reduce heat to low. Stir in gravy thickening (give a quick whisk to the thickening before stir in). Turn off the heat.
10. Dish out kung pao chicken. Sprinkle with chopped spring onion (green part). Serve hot with rice.

Notes

Raw blanched peanuts or cashew nuts can be deep fried in hot oil until golden brown instead of roasting. 1 tsp. of Shaoxing wine can be added in the marinade to enhance its flavor. Vegetables such as bell peppers, baby corns, carrots, celery, red onion, and water chestnuts can also be added to kung pao chicken.