The origin of the dish Chili Chicken is actually from Kolkata and uses a beautiful blend of culinary traditions of India and China. The fusion resulted in this extraordinary dish that is now made and sold all over India and outside.
This Indo-Chinese dish has won over the hearts of people with its bold flavors from both countries. The beautifully glazed chicken pieces are tender with a thin layer of crispy batter. Veggies add the crunch, while the gravy brings in the zinginess and heat.
It can be made dry as well as with gravy. Both are equally delicious, the only difference is that one is an appetizer and the other is the main course. In this article, the recipe we are going to talk about will have gravy. This Kolkata-style Chili Chicken can be relished on any kind of occasion and will be enough as a main course with some fried rice. Make it and eat, delving through the simple yet luxurious flavors of the dish.
Let us go through the list of ingredients and the process of making it.
Kolkata Style Chili Chicken (Gravy) Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Induction Cooktop
- 1 Kadhai
Ingredients
For Marinade
- 450 g Boneless Chicken cubes
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 2 pinches Baking Powder
- 1 ½ tsp Vinegar
- 2 ½ tsp Dark Soy Sauce
- Salt to taste
For Coating the Chicken
- 5 ½ tbsp Corn Starch
- 5 ½ tbsp Maida or All-purpose Flour
- ½ tsp Baking Powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
For the Gravy/Sauce
- 2 Onion medium
- 2 Capsicum medium
- 2 tsp Ginger finely chopped
- 3 tsp Garlic minced
- 3 Dried Red Chili
- 3-4 Green Chilis or according to heat tolerance
- 1 ½ tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- 1 ½ tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
- 3 ½ tbsp Tomato Ketchup
- 1 ½ tbsp Vinegar
- 2 tbsp Red Chili Sauce optional
- 1 tbsp Green Chili Sauce optional
- Salt to taste
- Sugar to taste; to balance the salt
- Water
- Vegetable Oil
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken
- First, start by washing the chicken thoroughly.
- Transfer it into a bowl and then add the vinegar, egg white, ginger garlic paste, black pepper powder, baking powder, dark soy sauce, and salt to taste.
- Mix everything nicely and coat the chicken cubes. Cover and keep them aside for about an hour.
Prepare the Sauce
- Dice the onion and capsicum. Keep them aside.
- Next, cut the green chilis diagonally. Keep them aside.
- Now, take a kadhai or wok and add oil.
- Let the oil heat until it smokes a little. Keep the flame on low to medium.
- To this, add the dried red chilis (break them from the middle).
- Fry them until aromatic.
- Now, add the finely chopped ginger and mined garlic.
- Stir them nicely until the raw scent is gone.
- To this, add the diced onion and capsicum.
- Stir them for a few seconds.
- Cover and let them cook for a minute.
- Next, add the green chilis to the kadhai.
- Stir everything together.
- Now, add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vinegar, tomato ketchup, green chili sauce, and red chili sauce.
- Mix all the ingredients. Keep the flame on low.
- Now add 3/4 cup of water.
- Combine everything again.
- Add salt to taste and sugar to taste.
- Stir the ingredients and cover the kadhai or wok.
- When the gravy starts to simmer, turn off the flame. Keep it aside.
Fry the Chicken
- Take a deep-frying pan and add a sufficient amount of oil.
- While the oil is getting hot, add cornstarch, maida, baking powder, salt to taste, and black pepper to the marinated chicken.
- Mix everything nicely and coat each piece of chicken. Add a splash of water if the batter is too thick.
- When the oil is hot, turn the flame to medium and one by one lower the coated chicken pieces.
- Fry them from all the sides until golden. Do not overcrowd the pan, fry them in batches.
- When done, transfer them onto a kitchen tissue-covered plate.
Prepare Chili Chicken
- After this, put the gravy kadhai on flame.
- Stir and let the gravy come to a simmer.
- Add the fried chicken pieces to the gravy or sauce. Toss them and coat them with the sauce nicely. (make sure that the gravy is thick, but not too dry).
- Take a taste test. Add if anything is needed.
Garnish
- Garnish the Kolkata Style Chili Chicken with a sprig of coriander leaf for some fresh hue.
And voila! The scrumptious Kolkata-style Chili Chicken with gravy is prepared to be savored.
Serve it with a delicious plate of Fried rice and some freshly sliced salad. The combination of fried rice and chili chicken is like an inseparable pair. The white fluffy rice filled with veggies mops up the spicy, rich gravy beautifully.
This can be an amazing lunch or can even be enjoyed at dinner when the guests come over.
Eat and Enjoy!