I made this dish back in March, 2011 and called it "Crispy Spinach with Stir Fried Chicken". It was the first time I'd started capturing images and recording recipes for my personal FB page. I didn't have a smart phone those days. Hence, my digital camera did the job!
Boneless chicken strips fried and cooked in a tangy sauce served with sautéed crisp spinach, green chillies and finely chopped garlic.
I’d tasted a similar dish in one of the Chinese restaurants’ in Bangalore. It was hot and spicy. Therefore, I created my version of this dish to make it more suitable for the kids. It's mouth-watering and delicious! Do give it try!
Ingredients
1. 300 gm boneless chicken (breasts or thighs) preferably thighs as they are tender
2. ½ bunch spinach
3. 2 green chillies (deseeded and chopped separately)
4. 7 cloves garlic finely chopped
5. 1 ½ tbsp red chilli sauce
6. 1 ½ tsp dark soya sauce
7. 1 tsp szechwan sauce
8. 3 tbsp tomato ketchup
9. ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
10. 1 ½ tbsp corn flour
11. 1 ½ tsp sugar
12. Salt to taste
13. Oil for frying
14. Roasted and coarsely ground peanuts
Here We Go
1. Take the boneless chicken pieces, cut them into thin strips and put them in a bowl.
2. Add 2 tsp red chilli sauce,1 tsp soya sauce,1 tbsp corn flour, pepper and salt. Mix all the ingredients and marinade them in the refrigerator for 1 ½ -2 hours.
3. Remove stems from the spinach leaves, wash them well and drain the water
4. thoroughly. Now, chop them finely and keep them aside.
5. Heat the oil at (375-degree F/190 degrees celsius) and deep fry the spinach in till crisp.
6. Place on a kitchen towel to remove excess oil. Season with salt and sugar, give it a quick stir on a hot pan, remove.
7. Take a wok; add the same oil used to fry spinach. Add 1 chopped green chilli, 1 tsp garlic and cook till light brown. Then, add the fried spinach and toss for a few seconds and remove.
8. Now, deep fry the chicken strips on high heat (375-degree F/190 degrees celsius) only for about 3-5 minutes; avoid burning. Remove and keep them in a casserole.
9. Take a small bowl; add the remaining red chilli sauce and soya sauce. Add szechwan sauce, ketchup and 1 tsp sugar. Mix well and keep aside. Mix the remaining corn flour with water in a bowl and keep aside.
10. In a wok, add the same oil used to fry chicken. Fry the remaining green chillies and garlic. Fry till light brown, now add the sauce kept in a bowl and cook on medium heat for few minutes. Add a little corn flour mixed with water to check if the consistency is good. then, add more if required. You can skip adding cornflour.
11. Add the chicken and mix well. Coat the entire chicken strips with the sauce. Cook for another min or two and remove. Sprinkle the roasted peanuts.
12. Serve immediately with crispy spinach as an appetizer or with any fried rice, noodles of your choice.
