Sweet and Sour Chicken (Without Deep-Frying)

 

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

250g. chicken thighs (skinless and boneless) - cut into bite size pieces

1/2 tbsp cooking oil

1/2 egg (beaten)

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup cornflour

Sauce: (mix together in a bowl)

1 1/2 tbsp.tomato sauce

1 1/2 tbsp. Shaoxing wine

1 tbsp. rice vinegar

1 1/2 tbsp. light soy sauce

1 1/2 tbsp. brown sugar

1 1/2 tbsp. water

1/4 tbsp. cornflour

Stir-fry:

3 tbsp. cooking oil

2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

1/2 small onion (chopped)

1 small orange capsicum (cubed)

Methods:

1. In a big bowl combine chicken pieces, cooking oil and salt. Mix well and let marinate for 20 minutes.
2. Just before cooking, add beaten egg into the bowl with the chicken.  Stir to mix well.  Add cornflour, stir to coat chicken until it forms an uneven coating.
3. Heat 3 tbsp. cooking oil in a skillet until hot, add all the chicken, spreading them over the skillet in a single layer.  If needed, use a pair of chopsticks to separate the chicken pieces.
4. Cook for 2-3 minutes without moving it, until the bottom turns golden.  Flip to brown the other side, 2-3 minutes.  Transfer chicken to a plate and remove any excess oil, leaving 1 1/2 tbsp. in the skillet.
5. Place the skillet back on the stove and turn to medium heat.  Saute garlic, add capsicum and give it a quick stir-fry.  
6. Stir the sauce again to dissolve the cornflour completely.  Pour the sauce into the pan and add the onion. Stir and cook until it thickens (when you can draw a line on the bottom with a spatula without the sauce running back immediately).
7. Return the chicken pieces into the skillet.  Stir well to coat chicken with sauce.
8. Dish onto a serving plate and serve with hot fluffy rice.

I adapted this recipe from 'Omnivore's Cookbook' with slight amendment to suit my cooking preference.