Recipe: Nepali Chili Chicken

Note: the following was taken from an adaptation of Friend's Restauarant, however the portions were not measured and should be taken as approximate.

Chili chicken is an appetizer found in many of the Nepali restaurants. Its origin is unclear - although it apparently has Chinese roots, I could not find it in Tibet and it features more South Asian spices than East Asian spices. Adjust the spiciness to your taste!

1 roma tomato (or equivalent size), triangularly cut

1 bell pepper, triangularly cut

8 pcs cut chicken (boneless or bone-in), about 1in in size

4 chilies, cut in half

1 spring onion, sliced into 3in pieces (green parts only)

1 onion, triangularly cut

1 garlic head, minced

1 heaping tbsp hot sauce

corn starch, in water

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

Chicken Batter (enough for 4x recipe!):

2 cups flour

1 cup corn starch

¼ tsp MSG (optional)

½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper powder

½ tsp garlic paste

1 egg

red coloring (optional)

2 cups water, or enough to make smooth but firm consistency

All but the bell peppers, and actual use was half of the hot sauce pictured. Also, the batter.

Make the batter by mixing all ingredients above (the egg needs not be prepared), and make sure it is a smooth but firm consistency. Then, dip the chicken into the marinade and spread evenly (there will be ample leftover sauce). Deep fry the chicken, sauce excluded, for ten or so minutes or until cooked. Then, add the onion slices, bell pepper slices, and fry 30 more seconds. Drain and set aside.

In a stir-fry pan on medium heat, stir-fry with oil and garlic for 30 seconds; add tomato and the chilies. At this point the garlic should start to brown. Add water to keep from drying, 1 tbsp ketchup, and the hot sauce. Then, add the non-batter1/2 tsp salt, MSG (optional), and 1/2 tsp black pepper.  The mixture should look like a broth. Add in the deep fried chicken and vegetables. At this point, add water as necessary so the mixture does not get dry. Finally, emulsify the broth by adding corn starch in water. Serve with raw onions on top or lightly cooked.

Right after adding the chicken

Note: when stir-frying, water should be used if the mixture becomes too dry or burns; let it boil off to keep a broth consistency. Also, I'd imagine soy sauce or vinegar can be added to taste to make it more East Asian.

Serves 1

Completed dish