Food experiment – Crispy Honey Chicken

I have been trying to cook chicken in various ways, but honestly, I have not been equally successful in each of my attempts. Roast chicken and chicken tikka is something I have been trying very hard to master, but failing each and every time. A few times when I have tried to cook chicken differently, it has surprisingly come out well. Here is one of the recipes’ I tried last week and liked it too ;)

So crispy honey chicken, which also happens to be a favourite when eating out, has a slightly complex way of cooking. That is because you need to cook it in parts. I’ve used the recipe from this link, however added a few changes to suit myself.

Ingredients:
½ kg boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1” chunks)
1 big onion (diced)
1 capsicum (diced)
Oil (for deep frying)

For the Batter	For the Sauce
4 tablespoons cornstarch or corn flour ¼ cup refined flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ cup water ½ teaspoon salt 1 whole egg 1 egg whites (you may use 2 whole eggs if you are not in favour of wasting an egg yolk)	1½ tablespoons oil 2 teaspoons ginger paste 3 teaspoons garlic paste 1 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons honey 1 teaspoon vinegar ½ cup water 1 teaspoon cornstarch (mixed with 1 teaspoon water) Sesame seeds (for garnish)

1. Add all the ingredients for the batter in a large bowl and mix until smooth. Cover and keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
2. Heat the oil for frying chicken in a deep frying pan. Ensure it is sufficiently hot.
3. Dip the chicken chunks in the batter and put them in the hot oil one by one, 4-5 at a time. Fry for a couple of minutes until firm and crisp. Dry them on paper.
4. To make the sauce, heat 1 ½ tablespoons of oil in your wok. Add garlic and ginger pastes and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add salt, honey, vinegar, and water. Mix well. Combine 1 teaspoon of water with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Add to the sauce and Simmer for 2 minutes and remove to a bowl.
5. Add a teaspoon of oil and quickly stir fry the onions and capsicum in the hot wok.
6. Roast a teaspoon of sesame seeds and keep aside.
7. Now add the honey sauce to the chicken and mix well. Add the onions and capsicum on top and mix again. Garnish with sesame seeds.
8. Note – the chicken must be coated well in the sauce, the onions and capsicum must only get a tinge of the sauce.
9. Serve with fried rice, and sweet chilly sauce / Tobasco for added tinge.

Serves about 2-3 people depending on their appetite.

Note again: This recipe may not be for the calorie conscious as it involves deep fried chicken, and lots of honey, but the taste is one that you would find hard to resist :)

And now I will introduce my DICEY ratings for this recipe:
Difficulty: Moderate
Inflation: Filling (when served with rice)
Calories: Many
Eat when: Preferably dinner
Yumminess Factor: Eat till you are full!

Buon Appetito!