Curried Chicken with Peppers
A Cantonese-curry stir-fry: chicken cubes tossed hot with sliced peppers, onion and a mild curry sauce.
Overview
Curry blends beautifully with chicken when prepared in the style of southern Chinese cuisine, as a light, subtle sauce that enhances rather than overpowers the delicate chicken meat. This recipe balances spice with refinement, proving that curry in Chinese cooking is more elegant whisper than aggressive shout.
Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
Chicken & Coating
- 225 grams chicken breasts (skinned)
- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cornflour
Vegetables & Cooking Oil
- 225 grams green peppers (de-seeded)
- 150 ml groundnut oil
Sauce
- 70 ml Chinese chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons Curry Powder (or curry paste)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons dry sherry (or rice wine)
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornflour (blended with 1 teaspoon water)
Method
Stage 1 - Prepare & Coat
- Cut the chicken breasts into 2 cm cubes.
- Combine them with the egg white, salt and cornflour in a small bowl.
- Refrigerate for about 20 minutes so that the flavours combine.
Stage 2 - Prepare Vegetables
- Cut the peppers into 2 cm cubes.
Stage 3 - Cook Chicken
- Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan until moderately hot.
- Add the chicken mixture and stir-fry quickly to keep it from sticking.
- Cook until it turns white, which should take about 2 minutes.
- Put the chicken immediately into a colander and drain off the remaining oil into a dish.
Stage 4 - Build Sauce
- Clean the wok and add 1 tablespoon of the drained oil.
- Reheat the wok until very hot.
- Add the peppers and stir-fry them for 2 minutes.
- Add the stock, curry powder, sugar, sherry and soy sauce.
- Cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Pour in the cornflour mixture and stir to thicken lightly.
- Return the chicken to the pan and stir-fry for another 2 minutes, coating thoroughly with the sauce.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Curry in Chinese cooking: Southern Chinese curry is distinctly different from Indian curry, it's a supporting note, not the main melody.
- Curry powder vs. paste: Both work; paste provides more body and depth, while powder offers subtlety.
- Cornflour slurry: Add late to achieve a glossy, light sauce rather than a heavy coating.
Serving
Serve with: Steamed white rice and a simple vegetable
Storage
- Keeps 2-3 days refrigerated
- Freezes well up to 2-3 months
- Best served the day of preparation for brightest flavour
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