Chinese Recipe For Sesame Chicken Dish

There's something about Chinese food that just attracts people like magnets. Chinese cooking works like magic to turn a normally bland vegetable or meat into a colourful, flavoursome dish. The sesame chicken is a Chinese dish that's popular throughout the world. It's one of the most sought after dishes from Chinese restaurant menus. Not only is sesame chicken tasty to eat; it's also easy to prepare at home. When you're planning a party or family celebration at home, you could prepare this dish as main course. It doesn't take much time to cook and will definitely find a lot of takers.

The sesame chicken is said to have originated from the Hunan region of southern China. Sesame seeds have been a staple in Chinese food since time immemorial. The Chinese have a strong belief in the nutritional value of these seeds; they are said to be a great source of calcium, proteins and essential minerals. Of course, there's also the taste! Sesame seeds enhance the flavour of any dish.

This may not be the perfect dish for weight watchers because it involves deep drying the chicken; but it sure is a wonderful fare to have when you feel like indulging. The combination of crispy fried chicken with tangy sweet sauce and toasted sesame seeds is a treat to the taste buds. So whenever you feel like giving yourself a treat, just try out this simple recipe with ingredients you'll normally have at home. Finish off the cooking part in less than 30 minutes and relish the taste of restaurant-like fare at home.

You'll need -

* Chicken breasts (whole, deboned) - 3
* Sesame seeds - 2 tbsp
* Enough peanut oil for deep frying

Dice the chicken to make 1 inch pieces. Toast the sesame seeds and keep aside.

To make the marinade -

* Soy sauce - 2 tbsp
* Cooking wine - 1 tbsp
* Sesame oil
* Flour - 2 tbsp
* Corn flour - 2 tbsp
* Water - 2 tbsp
* Baking powder - ¼ tsp
* Baking soda - ¼ tsp
* Cooking oil - 1 tsp

Mix all these ingredients and soak the chicken pieces in this marinade for about 20 minutes. While this is marinating, you can prepare the sauce.

You'll need -

* Chicken broth - 1 cup
* Water - ½ cup
* Vinegar - 1/8 cup
* Cornflour - ¼ cup
* Sugar - 1 cup
* Soy sauce (dark) - 2 tablespoons
* Sesame oil - 2 tablespoons
* Chili paste - 1 teaspoon
* Crushed garlic - 1 clove

Combine all these in a pot and keep stirring till the mixture start boiling. Close and simmer to use after you finish deep frying the chicken.

Heat the peanut oil and deep fry chicken pieces, one batch at a time. Drain with paper tissues. When this is done, heat the sauce again till it starts boiling.

Take a serving bowl and place the fried chicken. Cover with hot sauce and garnish with toasted sesame seeds. Traditionally, sesame chicken is served along with boiled jasmine rice and steamed broccoli.