This honey chili chicken from chef Navjot Arora of Indian soul food restaurant Old Monk is crunchy, sticky, sweet, and spicy, and impossible to stop eating. Make sure to have all your ingredients ready before you start, since the actual cooking process is quite quick. For another recipe from the chef, check out this Pumpkin Naan recipe.

  • Yield: 3 to 4 servings
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 20 min 
  • Active: 20 min 

Ingredients (13)

  • 1 pound boneless dark meat chicken, diced and unseasoned
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon green chilies, minced
  • 1 tablespoon sambal oelek
  • 5 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoons water
  • chopped scallions, for garnish
  • julienned radish, for garnish
  • torn cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Toss the chicken in the cornstarch to lightly coat the meat.
  2. Heat a wok or large sauté pan over high heat, then add canola oil and heat until shimmering. Add the chicken and flash fry for 30 to 60 seconds, or until crispy and golden brown. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.
  3. Add garlic to pan and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, then add ginger and stir-fry for about 30 seconds more, and then add green chilies and stir-fry for another 10 to 20 seconds. Add sambal oelek, soy sauce, and honey to the pan and stir to combine. Add the cornstarch-water slurry and stir for about 30 seconds or until sauce is slightly thickened and shiny. Add the flash-fried chicken to the sauce and stir-fry for 3 minutes, until cooked through and coated with sauce.
  4. Turn the chicken out of the pan onto a serving platter and scrape remaining sauce on top. Garnish with scallions, radish, and/or cilantro, and serve.