Hello friends, how are you? Today we are going to talk about a dish whose name makes one’s mouth water, Chicken Chilli Dry. People eat it in restaurants and then make it at home, but it does not taste like the restaurant dish, then people get very disappointed.
Many of my friends complain that their chicken chilli either turns soggy while making it at home or the chicken dries out and becomes rubbery and never gets the same restaurant-like crunch. So, today I will tell you a secret hack by adopting which your chicken chilli dry will turn out perfectly crispy and exactly in restaurant style. So, let’s make it without any delay.
Material
Let us first know what all is required to make Chicken Chilli Dry. Usually, there is no special ingredient in it, whatever is required, you will already find it in your kitchen. Let us find out.
For the chicken marination
- 500 grams boneless chicken (cut into small cubes)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Kashmiri red chili powder for color
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- Salt to taste
- 3 tablespoons cornflour
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 egg (the white will also work)
For the gravy/sauce and tempering
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 large onion (finely chopped)
- 1 capsicum (cut into large pieces)
- 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- 2-3 green chilies (finely chopped)
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon tomato ketchup
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
- Fresh coriander leaves (for garnish)
- Onion (for garnish)
Step-by-Step Guide to Make Chicken Chilli Gravy
So let us know from here what is the process of making Chicken Chilli Dry from the beginning till serving it in the final plate.
The powerful marination magic begins here
Take all the chopped chicken pieces in a big bowl. Now add soya sauce, red chilli powder, black pepper, ginger-garlic paste and salt in it and mix them all well. Keep it aside for at least 20 minutes so that the chicken absorbs all these flavours. Now add cornflour and refined flour in it and mix them all well. You will see that the refined flour and cornflour are forming a light coating on the chicken pieces.
Now add egg white to the marinated chicken. Mix them all in such a way that each chicken piece is well coated in this egg coating. Egg is the secret which creates a perfect crispy and light layer on the chicken. It keeps the flour and cornflour sticky. Keep this marinated chicken in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (if more time is required, 1 hour). The more time the better.
How to Make Perfect Crispy Fries
Heat oil in a pan. Let it heat on medium flame. If the oil gets too hot, then when you put the chicken in the oil, it will burn from outside and will remain raw from inside. Therefore, to check the heat of the oil, put a small marinated chicken piece in it and see if it starts floating in the oil and bubbles start forming around it, then understand that the oil is well prepared. Now put all the chicken pieces one by one in the oil. Keep in mind not to put all the chicken pieces together otherwise the temperature will drop suddenly and the chicken will become oily. Now fry them on medium flame till they become golden brown and crispy (about 4-5 minutes). Take out the fried chicken pieces on a tissue paper as it absorbs the extra oil.
Master Hack : To double the crispiness, you can adopt the double frying technique. First, lightly fry the chicken and take it out. Then increase the temperature of the oil a little and fry it again for 1-2 minutes. This will make the outer layer very crunchy and the chicken inside will remain juicy.
Sauce and Final Mix
Now it’s time to mix the crispy chicken in the aromatic, slightly moist sauce. Now take another wok or pan and heat two spoons of oil in it. After the oil is heated well, add finely chopped onions and fry them till they turn light golden brown. Now add ginger-garlic paste and green chillies and fry for 1 minute. Add large pieces of capsicum. Be careful not to overcook them, their crunch should remain intact. Stir for only 2 minutes. Reduce the flame.
Add soy sauce, vinegar, tomato ketchup, black pepper powder and sugar. Now your sauce is ready. Be careful it should not be too wet. Now add the fried crispy chicken pieces to the oil and mix everything very lightly and quickly. The aim is to get a light coating of the sauce on each chicken piece, rather than them becoming soggy and soft. This mixing task should be completed in just a minute or two.
Serve and eat
Transfer the prepared Chicken Chilli Dry in a bowl. Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves and spring onion. Now enjoy it with hot parathas, noodles or as a snack. The crunch in every bite will tell you that you have succeeded and now you can easily make it anytime, anywhere.
Things to keep in mind
- Cornflour is essential : Cornflour is what brings the crispiness, do not skip it at all.
- The wonder of eggs : Without the binding power of eggs, the batter doesn’t stick together properly.
- Oil temperature : It is most important that if the oil is cold then the chicken will absorb the oil and if the oil is too hot then it will burn, so use medium flame only.
- Do not thicken the sauce : Chicken chilli is dry so the sauce should not be too much or thin, a light coating is enough to make it better.
- Final Mix : In the final, do not cook the chicken and sauce for too long, otherwise your hard work will go waste and the chicken will become soft.
Conclusion
Friends, this was a small but amazing hack to make Chicken Chilli Dry crispy just like in a restaurant. You will see that these small things like the combination of cornflour and refined flour, the binding power of eggs, paying attention to the right temperature of the oil and maintaining the crispiness of the chicken till the last moment, these are the magic keys that turn your Chicken Chilli Dry from ordinary to special.
