Kung Pao Chicken Pasta

Ingredients

• Water (as required for boiling)
• 1 tbsp Iodized Himalayan pink salt (or to taste, for boiling spaghetti)
• 1 packet Spaghetti (for boiling)
• 1 tbsp Cooking oil (or as required for boiling)
• 400 g Boneless chicken
• 1.5 tbsp Soy sauce (for marination)
• 0.5 tbsp Oyster sauce (for marination)
• 1 tsp Vinegar (Sirka, for marination)
• 0.5 tsp Iodized Himalayan pink salt (or to taste, for marination)
• 1 tsp Garlic powder (Lehsan powder)
• 1 tsp Paprika powder
• 0.5 tsp Black pepper powder (Kali mirch powder)
• 0.25 tsp Baking soda
• 1 tbsp Cornflour (for marination)
• 1 Onion (medium, Pyaz)
• 1 Capsicum (medium, Shimla mirch)
• 2.5 stalks Spring onion green part (2-3 stalks, Hara pyaz)
• 3.5 tbsp Cooking oil (3-4 tbs, for frying chicken)
• 1 cup Chicken stock (Mix 1 chicken cube in 1 cup hot water)
• 0.25 cup Soy sauce (for sauce)
• 1 tbsp Oyster sauce (for sauce)
• 1 tbsp Dark soy sauce
• 1.5 tbsp Vinegar (Sirka, for sauce)
• 2 tsp Sesame oil (Til ka tel)
• 1 tsp Black pepper (crushed, Kali mirch)
• 0.5 tsp Iodized Himalayan pink salt (or to taste, for sauce)
• 1 tbsp Caster sugar (Bareek cheeni)
• 1 tbsp Cornflour (for sauce thickening)
• 2.5 tbsp Cooking oil (2-3 tbs, for stir fry)
• 0.75 cup Peanuts (roasted, Moong phali)
• 1.5 tbsp Garlic (finely chopped, Lehsan)
• 1 tbsp Ginger (finely chopped, Adrak)
• 2.5 Dried Red chillies (2-3, Sukhi lal mirch)
• 300 g Spaghetti (cooked weight used in final assembly)
• 1 tbsp Sesame seeds (Til)

Steps

1. 1

   Boil water in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon of Himalayan pink salt and 1 tablespoon of cooking oil.

2. 2

   Add 1 packet of spaghetti to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.

3. 3

   In a bowl, combine 400g boneless chicken, 1 & ½ tablespoons soy sauce, ½ tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon vinegar, ½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon paprika powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and 1 tablespoon cornflour. Mix well to coat the chicken and marinate.

4. 4

   Heat 3-4 tablespoons of cooking oil in a pan. Add the marinated chicken and fry until fully cooked and golden brown. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.

5. 5

   Prepare the Kung Pao sauce by whisking together 1 cup chicken stock (1 cube dissolved in 1 cup hot water), ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 & ½ tablespoons vinegar, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper, ½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt, 1 tablespoon caster sugar, and 1 tablespoon cornflour until smooth.

6. 6

   In the same pan (or a clean one), heat 2-3 tablespoons of cooking oil. Add 1 & ½ tablespoons finely chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger, and 2-3 dried red chillies. Sauté until fragrant.

7. 7

   Add 1 medium chopped onion and 1 medium chopped capsicum. Stir-fry for a minute on high heat.

8. 8

   Pour in the prepared sauce mixture and cook until the sauce thickens.

9. 9

   Add the fried chicken and ¾ cup roasted peanuts to the sauce. Mix well.

10. 10

    Add 300g of the boiled spaghetti and 2-3 stalks of chopped spring onion (green part). Toss everything together until the pasta is well coated in the sauce.

11. 11

    Garnish with 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds and serve hot.

Notes

The recipe uses a 'velveting' technique for the chicken by including baking soda and cornflour in the marinade, which keeps the chicken tender during frying. Caster sugar is used to balance the salty and spicy notes of the sauce.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• fusion
• spicy
• pasta
• chicken
• kung pao
• stir-fried
• dinner