Desi Chinese-Style Anda Chilli

Ingredients

• 1 capsicum (cut into strips)
• 2 onions (cut into strips)
• 0.25 cup spring onion whites (chopped separately)
• 0.25 cup spring onion greens (chopped separately for garnish)
• 4 green chillies (slit)
• 0.5 cup fresh coriander leaves (roughly cut)
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander stems (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp ginger (finely chopped)
• 0.5 cup cornstarch (for batter)
• 0.25 cup refined flour (maida)
• salt (to taste)
• 0.5 tsp white pepper (divided)
• 0.5 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg white (for the batter)
• 0.25 cup chilled water (as needed for batter consistency)
• 4 boiled eggs (divided into quarters; author prefers using only the whites)
• oil (for deep frying and sautéing)
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• sugar (a pinch)
• 0.5 cup hot water (to build the sauce)
• 2 tbsp cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with a little water)

Steps

1. 1

   Prep the vegetables: Cut the capsicum and onions into strips. Separate the spring onions into whites and greens, then chop both separately. Slit the spicy green chillies.

2. 2

   Separate the coriander stems from the leaves. Roughly cut the coriander leaves and set aside. Finely chop the coriander stems, ginger, and garlic together (a manual chopper is recommended for a fine, fast chop).

3. 3

   Prepare the batter: In a bowl, combine cornstarch, refined flour, salt, white pepper, and baking powder. Mix the dry ingredients.

4. 4

   Add one egg white and chilled water to the dry ingredients. Whisk until a smooth batter forms.

5. 5

   Divide the boiled eggs into quarters. Dip the egg pieces (author recommends using just the whites for better texture) into the batter to coat thoroughly.

6. 6

   Heat oil in a pan. Fry the coated egg pieces in hot oil until the first frying is done. Remove and let them cool down.

7. 7

   Prepare the sauce: Heat oil in a wok or kadhai. Add the chopped ginger, garlic, and coriander stems. Toss briefly until fragrant.

8. 8

   Add the slit green chillies, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vinegar, a pinch of sugar, a pinch of salt, and white pepper. Mix everything together.

9. 9

   Pour in hot water to build the sauce base. Add the prepared onions, capsicum, and spring onion whites.

10. 10

    Stir in the cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. Once thickened, switch off the flame.

11. 11

    Perform the second frying (flash frying): Reheat the oil and fry the eggs a second time until they are light golden brown and super crispy. Strain them.

12. 12

    Add the crispy fried eggs to the sauce. Add the fresh coriander leaves and spring onion greens.

13. 13

    Toss the mixture on high flame for one minute to coat the eggs in the sauce, then serve immediately.

Notes

The author recommends double-frying the eggs for maximum crispiness. While you can use the whole boiled egg, using only the egg whites provides a better texture for this specific dish. Chilled water in the batter is the secret to a crispier coating.

Nutrition per serving

• appetizer
• desi chinese
• indo-chinese
• spicy
• eggs
• vegetarian
• fried
• street food