Chilli Chicken: Calcutta-Style

Chilli Chicken: Calcutta-Style

Ingredients:

1. One whole cornish hen cut in small pieces.
2. 2 tablespoons crushed garlic
3. Mushroom Soy Sauce
4. Chinese Rice Wine
5. Black Bean and garlic paste (sold bottled in Oriental groceries)
6. Flour or cornstarch
7. Cooking oil, preferably peanut oil
8. 2 cups of chopped scallions
9. Half cup chopped fresh green chilies
10. 1 envelope \”Taste of Thai\” chili pepper paste or bottled chili arlic paste, both usually available in Oriental groceries.
11. 1 cup chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)

Procedure:

1. Marinate chicken pieces overnight in 1 tablespoon crushed garlic, one fourth cup mushroom soy, one fourth cup wine and 2 tablespoons black bean paste.
2. Heat half cup oil in a heavy bottomed non-stick skillet, dredge chicken pieces in flour or cornstarch and shallow fry on a medium to medium high heat until all sides are medium brown.
3. Set aside.
4. In a heavy saucepan, fry scallions, chilies and garlic briefly, add the chicken pieces, more soy, and diluted chili pepper paste (1 envelope of the paste really has two inner envelopes, and for 1 cornish hen you may need only half of one of those inner envelopes).
5. Stir well to coat all the chicken pieces. Salt will most likely not be necessary as most of the sauces, especially the soy, are extremely salty.
6. Cover and lower the heat to medium low and cook for no more than 5 minutes. Uncover, stir well, add sugar if desired and mix well.
7. Add chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot over steamed rice or noodles.
8. [If this dish not hot enough for your taste, ground red chili pepper may be added at the end]

Source: Bharati Mitra