Stir-fried chicken cubes with peanuts

Here, I'd like to share my version of Gong Bao Ji Ding recipe with you. It's easy to cook and you only need to prepare a few ingredients. Though I would suggest that you prepare all the ingredients directed as follows and arrange them within your easy reach before you start cooking. The cooking process itself is pretty fast.

Feel free to adjust the saltiness, sweetness, and spiciness to suit your taste. You can also substitute cornstarch with potato flour, canola oil with peanut oil and any white cooking wine for Chinese cooking wine.

Ingredients

3/4 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces (around 1cm X 1cm)

Marinade

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons Chinese cooking wine

1 teaspoon potato flour

1/4 cup shelled raw peanuts

4 tablespoons peanut oil

4 whole dried red chilies, stems and seeds removed

2 green onions, sliced into 1-inch long pieces

2 tablespoons minced ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Sauce

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 tablespoon black Chinese vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3/4 tablespoon potato flour

1/4 cup chicken broth or water

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Steps

1. Season the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, and all of the salt and wine. Sprinkle with potato flour and mix well.

2. In a wok, stir-fry raw peanuts in 2 tablespoons oil until it becomes reddish in color. Remove and set aside to cool so they will turn crunchy.

3. To make the sauce, combine light soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, chicken broth, and potato flour to make a paste.

4. Pour the remaining oil into the wok and heat until near smoking. Add the chilies, and after they have started to brown, add the chicken and stir-fry until cooked.

5. Add the onion, ginger, and garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds.

6. Give the sauce a stir and add it to the wok, continuing to stir and toss. As soon as the sauce has become shiny and thick, stir in the peanuts and sesame oil. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Happy cooking!

Some would like to use skinless peanuts in this dish, but I prefer mine with the skin intact. Peanut skin is rich in polyphenols, an antioxidant which have anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-aging effects. It also has resveratrol which can lower blood sugar significantly and is a good source of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber.

From LoneAcorn