Dry Chilli Chicken and Dry Chilli Cottage Cheese... A quick one!

This is one of those dishes that you just cannot make once, that is, it gets repeated in your kitchen over and over again, without even you realising it! I will not vouch for the aunthenticity of this recipe, definitely not, having lived in Singapore for 11 years now. It has taken its own twists and turns in my kitchen, sometimes due to lack of time and sometimes due to lack of the right ingredients. Cooking, I feel, is more than just a procedure and method. It brings out our character in the dishes we make, so, all the twists and turns are totally justified.

I have failed to see or taste such a dish called 'Chilli Chicken' anywhere in the local Chinese restaurants or other eating outlets in Singapore. It is a purely Indian-Chinese version of chicken, more suited to the Indian palate, with its tangyness, sweetness and heatiness. I have seen it in a thick curry version, but mine always turns out dry, not due to any special effort, it just happens that way.

This is how I go about doing the Dry Chilli Chicken.

Ingredients:

Chicken, boneless breast, cut into small bite-sized pieces - 250 grams

Marinade for the Chicken:
Egg - 1/2, beaten
Garlic, crushed - 1 tbsp
Cornflour - 1 tbsp
Plain Flour - 1 tbsp

Other Ingredients:
Green Chillies - 5-6, slit lengthwise. You can reduce the amount as per your tolerance level.
Crushed Garlic - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1/2, cut into cubes
Green Bell Pepper - 1/2, cut into cubes
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp
Red Chilly Paste or Chilli Sauce - 1 tsp or less if you want it less heaty.
Soya Sauce - 4 tsps
Vinegar - 1 tbsp
Tomato Ketchup - 2 tbsps
Salt

Method:
1. Mix the chicken pieces with the marinade items. The batter would be just enough to coat the chicken pieces and not runny. Heat a little oil in a wok and add chicken into it, batch by batch, and shallow fry them till they turn white first and then slightly brown and fully cooked. Take them off the fire.
2. Put in one more teaspoon of oil into the wok and fry the green chillies for about a minute and remove.
3. Reduce heat and put in the onions and garlic. Fry slightly for a minute and add the bell peppers. Fry for another minute (I keep the bell peppers slightly crunchy, if you want to cook them soft, do so). Add salt, pepper, soya sauce, red chilly paste, tomato ketchup and vinegar. Stir. Add the sugar. Add the chicken pieces and stir. Add green chillies and mix well.
That is it. Serve along with noodles or rice as per your wish:)

Dry Chilli Cottage Cheese is something you will find only in India and nowhere else. This is a meat-free version of Chilli Chicken, for vegetarians and can be coupled with rice or noodles that is gentle enough to not fight with the flavours of this dish:) It can also be served as a starter to dinner parties on a toothpick.

My version of Dry Chilli Cottage Cheese:

Ingredients:
Cottage Cheese (Frozen or fresh) - 250 grams (Do not bother to defrost if you are using frozen ones)
Green Chillies - 4-5 slit lengthwise (reduce, by all means, if you fear you would hit the roof!)
Soya Sauce - 3 tsps
Tomato Ketchup - 1 tbsp
Green Chilly Sauce - 1/2 tsp
Garlic Crushed - 1 tbsp
Salt and Pepper
Chopped Cilantro - a little but it is optional.

Marinade:
Cornflour - 1 tbsp
Plain Flour - 1 tbsp
Salt.

1. Mix together the cornflour, plain flour and salt along with the cottage cheese (frozen or not) sprinkling water to make it nicely coated. Heat a little oil and shallow fry the pieces till they are slightly browned. Take them out into a napkin.
2. Put in a teeny bit of more oil and fry the green chillies and garlic for a minute. Add soya sauce, chilly sauce, tomato ketchup, salt and pepper. mix well. Add the cottage cheese. Mix. Add the chopped cilantro, if using. Mix.

And... your job is done.

That was an Indo-Chinese meal for you!
Lots of happiness:)