Fried Rice And Chilli Chicken​ Recipe

Wow, your mouth started watering as soon as you heard the name, isn’t it? Fried rice and chilli chicken is not just a dish, it is a feeling, sitting with your family in the evening after a tiring day and eating, sharing a plate while having fun with friends. This dish is so popular that it maintains its place in the menu of every restaurant, but have you ever thought that it can be made like a restaurant (or even better) at home too

So yes, absolutely, and today I am going to tell you that secret. This is not magic, but some small tips, by following which you can become the superstar of your kitchen. So let’s start without any delay. First, we will make chilli chicken because its marination takes some time.

Ingredients for marination

• 500 grams boneless chicken, chopped
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon red chili sauce (or tomato ketchup if you prefer a less spicy sauce)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
• 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)

For the batter

• 4-5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cornflour (this adds crispness)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Cold water as needed (about 1/2 cup) to make the batter thick.
• A pinch of salt

For the chili sauce

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 capsicum, chopped into large pieces (green, red, or yellow)
• 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
• 2-3 green chilies, finely chopped (if you prefer a spicier version)
• 3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon red chili sauce or Sriracha sauce
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornflour dissolved in 1/4 cup water (to thicken the gravy)
• Oil for frying

How to make Chilli Chicken

Let’s start the recipe of making chilli chicken from here, you must have made chicken chilli gravy, this is easier than that, so without any delay let’s know what ingredients will be used in it and how it will be used.

Marinate the chicken

Take chopped chicken cubes in a bowl. Now add soya sauce, red chilli sauce, black pepper, ginger-garlic paste, salt and one tablespoon cornflour and mix them all well. Cornflour will not let the juice of the chicken come out and will make it tender. Now keep it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (if more time is needed then 1 hour) because the more time you give it, the better it will be.

Prepare the batter and fry it

In another bowl, add flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt. Now gradually add cold water to it and prepare a thick solution. Keep in mind that it should be thick enough to coat the chicken well. Now heat oil in a pan.

Deep Fry

Now dip the marinated chicken pieces in the batter and coat them well and put them in hot oil on medium flame. Do not put all the pieces together, fry them little by little otherwise they will stick to each other. Now fry them till they turn golden brown (about 4-5 minutes). After frying, take them out and keep them on a paper towel. This is our first frying.

Second fry (necessary for crispiness)

After all the chicken pieces are fried, increase the heat of the oil and put all the fried chicken pieces back into the hot oil and fry them again for just 45 to 60 seconds. By doing this, they will become completely crispy and then take them out and keep them aside.

Make the Chili Sauce

Heat one tablespoon of oil in another pan or wok. Add finely chopped onions and fry till they turn soft. Then add ginger-garlic paste and green chillies and fry for 1 minute. Now add capsicum pieces and stir vigorously on high flame for 2 minutes. Keep in mind that the capsicum should remain slightly firm. Add tomato ketchup, soya sauce, red chilli sauce, vinegar and sugar in it. Now mix all these well and let the sauce boil for 1 minute.

Thicken the gravy and add the chicken.

Now add the cornflour mixed water (stir it again as it settles down) the sauce will start thickening immediately, if you find it too thick then you can add some water. Finally add the crispy fried chicken pieces in the sauce and stir lightly so that each piece gets coated in the sauce. Your perfect chilli chicken is ready, garnish it with green onion cuttings.

Ingredients for Fried Rice

• 2 cups basmati rice, cooked, cooled, and refrigerated (preferably cooked the day before)
• 2 tablespoons oil (sunflower or refined)
• 2 eggs, beaten (optional, but most people prefer it)
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup carrot, finely chopped (grated will also work)
• 1/4 cup beans, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons spring onion greens, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
• Salt to taste (keep in mind, soy sauce contains salt)
• 1 teaspoon sugar (to balance the flavor)

How to make fried rice

Note : You can make the fried rice within 30 minutes of marinating the chili chicken, or after the chili chicken has finished frying. It’s best to have the rice pre-cooked and chilled.

1. Prepare the vegetables : First of all, cut all the vegetables and keep them ready because while making fried rice, everything happens very quickly, hence preparation is very important.
2. Scrambled eggs : Heat oil in a large pan or wok. Once the oil is heated well, add the beaten eggs and scramble them while stirring vigorously. Remove them before they set and place them neatly on a plate.
3. Fry vegetables : Add some more oil in the same pan if required. Now add garlic in that hot oil and fry it for 30 seconds. Then add onion and fry till the onion turns light golden brown. Now add carrots and beans and fry them on high flame for two-three minutes. Then add capsicum and fry for one more minute. Keep in mind that the vegetables should remain a little crunchy and not soft.
4. Mix the rice : Now add the cooled rice. Use two spoons (spatula) instead of a ladle to break the rice. Break the rice gently and separate it and mix it well with the vegetables.
5. Add seasoning : Now add soya sauce, vinegar, black pepper powder, sugar and salt to the rice. Mix them all well so that the soya sauce gets absorbed in every grain of rice. Let them cook on low flame for two to three minutes.
6. Add the egg back in and garnish : Now put the scrambled egg back in the pan and also add the green part of spring onion (save some for garnishing) and mix everything lightly and your delicious fried rice is ready.

How to serve the perfect combo

Arrange hot fluffy fried rice on a plate and place the shiny crispy chilli chicken next to it. Add some chopped spring onions on top. This combo is so complete in itself that it does not require any additional chutney or aswad.

One last and important advice

• Always use cold rice : This is the biggest secret of fried rice because fresh hot rice sticks and becomes lumpy.
• Use high heat : Chinese food is always cooked quickly on high flame, only then the crunchiness of the vegetables is maintained.
• Do not overcook the chili chicken in the sauce : Serve the crispy chicken immediately after mixing it with the sauce, otherwise it will become soggy and soft and will not have the crunch to eat.

By following these steps, you will definitely be able to make restaurant-style perfect fried rice and chilli chicken; just be patient.

Conclusion

So friends, if you have read and followed this recipe carefully, then I am sure that the aroma emanating from your kitchen and the smile on your face must have told you that you have been successful. So this was the method of making fried rice and chilli chicken. Now you can easily make it at home by following the steps given above.