Chilli Chicken: The Indo-Chinese Delight

Chilli Chicken Recipe | Image Resource : shutterstock.com

The mere mention of chilli chicken can send the foodies drooling over the name. It is hard to resist the sight of those fried chicken pieces immersed in a rich and thick sauce loaded with flavours. Today, the dish enjoys immense popularity all across the world. Different recipes follow a different cooking style, and while the dish may take on a slightly different look and variation in taste, what remains common is its lip-smacking taste. A combination of Indian and Chinese cooking styles, Chilli Chicken dishes are very popular among the masses. However, there are very few who know the difference between the two recipes.
 
Today, most restaurants serve Indian as well as Chinese food. Along with the usual favourite, you will always find Chilli Chicken in the Chinese section of the menu. It is because of the interaction of different communities and the influences of food on each other over the centuries. What we find is a kind of hybrid cuisine that has its own unique place.
 
Chilli Chicken Recipe

The basic recipe of Chilli chicken involves frying the chicken pieces and immersing them in a spicy sauce made from chopped onions, pepper, and tomatoes. Thus, the chilli chicken recipe remains the same in Indian as well as Chinese style of cooking. The difference lies in the use of other ingredients. Typically, Chilli chicken is made by boneless chicken pieces. The final look and colour can vary and can be brown to dark brown.
 
For example, Chinese Chilli chicken recipe uses chicken stock to make the sauce. A lot of soya sauce, green chillies, sugar, vinegar, and capsicums are used in the Chinese versions, and what you get is a sweet and spicy dish. You can say that the Chinese style is a fusion recipe. While the Indian style of cooking will have big slices of chicken and green chillies, and you will find those long green chili slices missing in the Chinese version. Indian cooks are experts at adopting foreign dishes and modifying them to make their own.  

One can order Chilli chicken whatever style they prefer at restaurants and get the recipe dry or with gravy. They will serve it as per your preference and make it sweet with green onions or hot and spicy with green peppers. Both versions of the recipe are delicious. While the use of boneless chicken is common in the dish, it is not uncommon to see the use of boned chicken for the recipe as well.
 
Chilli chicken is served with rice, roti or naan, and garnished with chopped spring onions and coriander leaves. The Chinese version can be enjoyed with fried rice. You will come across various versions like green chilli chicken, Bengal chilli chicken, and even Tangrai chilli chicken in the restaurants. You are sure to remain spoiled for choices when browsing the menu for Chilli chicken.