Braised Chicken with Bittergourd and Chilli
Learn the trick for taming bittergourd. This braised chicken uses pickled pineapple and chilli for a savory gravy that converts even the skeptics.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 450kcal
Equipment
- wok
- sieve
Ingredients
- 200 g bittergourd
- 400 ml oil
- 600 g chicken drumstick, deboned and cut into 4-cm pieces
- 50 g garlic, chopped
- 2 large red chillies, sliced lengthways and seeded
- 250 g chicken stock
- 1 tbsp cornstarch, mixed into 2 tbsps water
- 1 ½ tbsps soy paste
- 40 g pickled pineapple with soy bean
- 40 g pickled cucumber
- ½ tsp sugar
Instructions
- Slice off bittergourd ends. Cut into 5-cm chunks; halve each to remove centre and slice into 1-cm thick pieces. Set aside.
- Blend soy paste, pickled pineapple with soy bean, pickled cucumber and sugar into a paste.
- Heat oil in wok over a high fire. Deep-fry chicken for 2 mins. Remove; put chicken into a sieve to drain excess oil.
- Add bittergourd to same hot wok. Cook for 30 secs; remove (this is called "passing through oil"). Drain over a sieve.
- Remove oil from wok leaving about 1 tsp oil. Stir-fry garlic and chilli over a medium fire until fragrant, 30 to 40 secs.
- Return chicken and bittergourd to wok. Add seasoning ingredients and toss to mix well.
- Add stock; bring mixture to boil. Cook until gravy is halved, 2 to 3 mins. Add starch mixture; mix well. Turn fire off and serve.