Ingredients

1. Chicken – 250 gms

Marinade

2. Ginger and garlic paste – 1 tsp
3. Dark soya sauce - 1 tsp
4. Chilli powder – 1/4 tsp
5. Chilli garlic sauce – 1 tbsp
6. Salt as required
7. Ajinomoto - 1/4 tsp
8. Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp
9. Corn flour – 2 tbsp
10. Maida (plain flour) - 2 tbsp
11. Egg – 1

Sauce

12. Oil – 3 tbsp
13. Spring onions (chopped) - 5
14. Garlic cloves (chopped) – 2 tsp
15. Ginger (chopped) – 2 tsp
16. Green chillies (medium, sliced) – 2
17. Ajinomoto (optional) - a big pinch or 1/4 tsp
18. Dark soya sauce – 1 tbsp
19. Tomato Ketchup – 3 tbsp
20. Chilli garlic sauce (Maggi brand) – 2 tbsp
21. Pepper - a big pinch or 1/4 tsp
22. Sugar – 1 tsp
23. Crushed chilli flakes – 1/2 tsp
24. Water – 1/2 cup or more (150 ml)
25. Green capsicum – 1/2
26. Red capsicum – 1/2
27. Onion – 1/2

Method

1. Cut the chicken pieces into chunks or bite size pieces.
2. Cut the capsicum and onion in squares and keep aside.
3. Slice the green chillies, spring onions - both white and green part, keep aside.

Marination

4. Take a bowl, add all the marinade ingredients written above, mix well. Add chicken pieces, mix well with the marinade, keep aside for 15 minutes or if more in the refrigerator.
5. Take out the chicken pieces from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Do not mix the chicken pieces again.
6. Heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add chicken pieces and cook on medium heat, in batches. Cook the chicken to golden colour, it will take 4 to 5 minutes or cook until it is cooked well.
7. The chicken pieces when cooked can be very dark in colour because of the chilli garlic sauce and soya sauce.
8. Remove the chicken pieces on the absorbent paper, keep aside.

Sauce

9. Take a bowl add soya sauce, chilli garlic sauce and tomato ketchup, mix, keep it ready.
10. Heat oil in a wider pan or (wok) any vessel, when hot, add garlic, ginger, green chillies and spring onions and suate for few seconds or 15sec, do not burn ginger and garlic.
11. Add all the sauces, Ajinomoto, crushed chilli flakes and sugar; stir quickly so that it is not burnt, you can keep the flame low.
12. Add water immediately and mix well, allow the sauce to boil for 2 to 3minutes on medium flame or until all sauces are blended well together.
13. Add black pepper powder and salt as per taste.
14. Add cooked chicken pieces, spring onion, capsicum and onion, mix in the sauce, cook for few minutes on medium flame until all are coated with the sauce.
15. If the sauce is getting dry, add few tables’ spoons of water and cook it.
16. When all the liquid (sauce) is absorbed well and the chicken pieces are coated well in the sauce, switch it off.
17. Serve dry chilli chicken as a starter or as a side dish with any fried rice or any stir fry noodles.

Notes

1. If you want you can avoid ajinomoto and chilli garlic sauce in the marinate, as per your taste.
2. You can try with green chilli sauce , it will give you different taste.
3. In the marinate you can avoid plain flour and add more corn flour.
4. Always check the seasoning, so that you can add it later.
5. I like spicy food, so I have added crushed chilli flakes or powder; if you want you can avoid it.
6. If you want your chilli chicken to be saucy, then add more tomato ketchup and chilli garlic sauce (maggi brand), with water 1/2cup mixed with corn flour 1tsp for thickening.