Chicken Chilli Nepali Style चिकन चिली
Nepali Chicken Chilli is a classic Indo-Chinese fusion dish that has become super popular in Nepali restaurants. It is a dish that is bursting with flavour and a perfect balance of sweet and spicy. The dish's origin is an interesting blend of two culinary cultures - Indian and Chinese - which have come together to create a unique fusion dish. Chicken chilli in Nepal is comparable to the status korean fried chicken has in korea, an easy, dirty, delicious takeout food that satisfies cravings. The Nepali Chicken Chilli recipe is incredibly easy to make and is perfect for any occasion. It is a fantastic way to bring some excitement to your dinner table.
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 25 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 500 grams Boneless Chicken thigh
- 3 tablespoon Vegetable oil
- 4 Green fresh chilly
- 4 Cloves Garlic (Roughly sliced)
- 1 Red Bell Pepper (Cut into large slices)
- 1 Red onion (medium sized. Cut into large slices)
- 4 stems Spring Onion (Roughly sliced into diagonals)
- 4 sprigs coriander leaves (for garnishing)
- 1 tablespoon Corn Flour (Mix with 2 tablespoon of cold water)
- 4 Red dried chilli (remove the seeds if you want to reduce the spiciness but preserve the flavour)
- 1 Tomato
- 1/2 Onion (roughly choppes)
- 2 teaspoon Tomato puree
- 2 tablespoon Brown sugar
- 4 tablespoon Light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli powder (Kashmiri chilli powder gives a vibrant red colour and does not add too much spiciness)
- 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Timmur powder (Nepali sichuan pepper) (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Cornflour
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon Ginger paste
- 3 tablespoon Soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 1 Egg
- 2 tablespoon Corn flour
- 2 tablespoon Plain Flour
Instructions
- 1
Soak the dried red chilly in some water whilst before you start the below preparations
- 2
Marinate the chicken
- 3
Mix all the ingredients for chicken marinade in a large mixing bowl until you have a paste.
- 4
Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and add them to the large mixing bowl.
- 5
Mix well to coat the chicken pieces evenly. Leave it to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- 6
Prepare the Red Chilli Sauce Mix
- 7
In a blender, add the soaked dried chilli, chopped tomato, and onion. Blend until you get a fine paste. Alternatively, you can use a mortar and pestle.
- 8
Transfer the paste to a bowl and add the remaining sauce ingredients - light and dark soy sauce, tomato puree, brown sugar, lemon juice, timmur powder water, and corn flour. Mix well and set aside.
- 9
Option 1: Deep fry the chicken
- 10
Heat enough vegetable oil in a deep fryer or a wok until hot.
- 11
Add the marinated chicken pieces in batches, taking care not to overcrowd the wok. Deep fry them until golden brown and crispy.
- 12
Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. Repeat until all the chicken pieces are fried. Then set aside the chicken whilst you prepare the vegetables.
- 13
Option 2: Air fry
- 14
Air fry at 185 degrees celcius for 25 minutes until golden brown. Then set aside the chicken whilst you prepare the vegetables.
- 15
Option 3: Oven Bake
- 16
Oven bake at 190 degrees celcius for 25 minutes until golden brown. Then set aside the chicken whilst you prepare the vegetables.
- 17
Stir-fry the veggies
- 18
In a wok or a large frying pan, heat 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil over high heat.
- 19
Add the sliced garlic and sliced fresh green chilies and stir-fry for 15-30 seconds until fragrant. Be careful not to burn them.
- 20
Then, add the sliced onion, spring onions and bell peppers and stir-fry quickly for 30 seconds to 1 minute. You want the vegetables to be undercooked and crunchy.
- 21
Combine all the ingredients
- 22
First give the prepared sauce a good mix because the cornflour may have sunk to the bottom. Then add the prepared sauce to the pan with the veggies and stir well for 1-2 minutes. Add the fried chicken pieces. Let it simmer for 3-5 minutes
- 23
As the sauce is simmering prepare the cornflour. Mix the cornflour with a 2 tablespoon of cold water then add it to the sauce until the sauce thickens and becomes sticky.
- 24
Serve
- 25
Transfer the chicken chilli to a serving dish and garnish with some fresh chopped coriander leaves.