SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN

Pieces of chicken coated in a crispy batter, tossed in a tangy and savoury sweet and sour sauce, and served over fluffy basmati rice. It's a restaurant-quality dish you can make at home, perfect for satisfying your Chinese food cravings.

PREP 20m

COOK 30m

TOTAL 50m

SERVES 4

Ingredients-

For the Sweet and Sour Sauce:

  • 4 tbsp ketchup

  • 4 tbsp white sugar

  • 4 tbsp cider vinegar

  • 1 tsp grated ginger

  • 1 tsp grated garlic

  • 1 tsp soy sauce

  • 1 tsp cornflour

  • 2 tbsp cold water

For the Chicken Batter:

  • 125g plain flour

  • 2 tsp baking powder

  • Enough water to achieve a double cream consistency

For the Chicken:

  • 2-3 chicken breasts, cut into 2-3 cm cubes

  • Vegetable oil for frying

For the Vegetables:

  • 2 bell peppers, cut into chunky pieces

  • 1 onion, cut into chunky pieces

For the Rice:

  • 1 cup basmati rice

  • Small amount of oil for frying

For Garnish:

  • Sesame seeds

  • Spring onions, chopped

Instructions-

  1. Start by preparing the Sweet and Sour Sauce. In a saucepan, combine ketchup, white sugar, cider vinegar, grated ginger, and grated garlic. Simmer over low heat.

  2. In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, cornflour, and cold water. Add this mixture to the saucepan and continue to simmer for 2 minutes. Set the sauce aside.

  3. In a separate pan, gently fry the bell peppers and onion until they become softened. Keep them on low heat.

  4. For the rice, fry 1 cup of basmati rice in a small amount of oil. Add 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, then simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes. Let it rest for an additional 5 minutes.

  5. While the rice is cooking, heat vegetable oil in a large, deep pan for frying.

  6. To make the chicken batter, mix plain flour and baking powder in a bowl. Gradually add water until you achieve a double cream consistency.

  7. Cut the chicken breasts into 2-3 cm cubes. Dip them into the batter and carefully fry in batches until they turn golden and crispy, which takes approximately 6-8 minutes. Drain the fried chicken on paper towels.

  8. Once all the chicken is cooked, toss it in the sweet and sour sauce.

  9. Add the fried peppers and onions to the sauce-coated chicken.

  10. Serve the sweet and sour chicken over the fluffy basmati rice, and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped spring onions.

  11. Enjoy your homemade Sweet and Sour Chicken!