Healthy Chinese Sesame Chicken

I’m back with my special Healthy Chinese Sesame Chicken and a short story (and ofcourse with a recipe too) based on a special Festival. Though it’s not like rest typical Indian festival with loads of fried items and desserts made of desi ghee many Indians celebrate it every year and they wait for it year long. It is Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year. It is also known as Spring Festival.

Chinese people celebrate their New Year with a family reunion dinner. This sumptuous dinner is mainly loaded with fish, lobster and other seafood, pork, chicken and traditional Chinese dessert including cakes.

I have little knowledge about Chinese tradition and culture and that also due to my stay in Taiwan and Malaysia. Still in core I’m Indian who loves to be colorful with the colors of others. So here I am to celebrate my Chinese New Year with my special preparations.

My today’s recipe pick is Healthy Chinese Sesame Chicken.

Preparation Time: 15 mins

Cooking Time: 15 mins 

Total Time: 30 mins

Yield: 4 serving

Ingredients:

Boneless chicken breast : 400g

Onion : 2, small

Bell pepper : 1 cup (½ of each red, yellow, green color worked fine for me)

Spring onion : ¼ cup + 1 tbsp

Green chili : 4-5, finely chopped

Sesame seeds : 5 tbsp + 1 tsp

Black pepper powder : 2 tsp + ½ tsp

Fresh garlic : 5-6 cloves

Honey : ½ cup

Dark Soy sauce : 3 tbsp

Vinegar : 1 tbsp

Green chili sauce : 1 tbsp

Red chili sauce : 1 tbsp

Salt to taste (See Tips)

Oil : 1 tbsp

Preparation:

Make thin strips of the chicken and then cut into bite size pieces. Marinade the chicken with pinch of salt and 2 tsp of black pepper powder. Cut the bell peppers and onion into cubes.

Take a medium bowl and pour the honey in it. Add chili sauces, vinegar and soy sauce. Add freshly crushed garlic and mix lightly with 1 tbsp of water.

Add on the sesame seeds and stir well to mix well. Keep aside for 10 mins or until honey dissolves.

Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Fry onion with fresh chili on high flame for 1 minute or until onion is translucent. Add chicken and fry until chicken is half done. Continue frying with all bell peppers on high flame until chicken is done yet bell peppers are crunchy.

Pour the honey-sesame-soy-sauces mixture into the pan. Mix well to coat every piece of meat and veggies. Continue cooking on high flame.

Cook for another 3-5 mins or until everything is done. Most of the liquid will evaporate by the time. If you want to keep the gravy add 2-3 tbsp of water and bring it to boil on high flame. Sprinkle spring onion on the top and switch off the flame. 

Transfer immediately to the serving bowl. Sprinkle rest sesame seeds and spring onion on the top. Serve hot with noodles or white rice.

I used pan fried Egg Hakka Noodles to complete my appetite.

Tips:

Remember soy sauce already contains enough salt for any preparation. I dint need any extra, if you need more add cautiously.


I am submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover.