Sweet and sour dishes can be found throughout Asia, with the protein being anything from seafood to poultry, beef, and pork. I find that chicken is more tender, so today’s recipe consists of poultry.
Sweet and sour chicken dates back to 18th century China, with many provinces claiming its first creation. My recipe is a mix of east meets west. This sweet, salty, and tangy dish makes for a great snack on its own, and can also be enjoyed with rice for dinner.
To make your own Sweet and Sour Chicken, here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredients:
- 2 Chicken breasts
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 c. pineapple chunks
- ½ onion
- 1 c. flour
- Cornstarch
- Water
- Salt
- Oil
- ½ c. Tomato paste
- ½ c. Jam (any red or orange one)
- ½ c. Sugar
- ½ c. White vinegar
Begin by cutting the chicken breasts into bite-size pieces, and sprinkle over a pinch of salt. Then roughly chop the bell pepper and onion, and set aside.
In a bowl, combine the flour with ½ cup of each: cornstarch and water. Add ½ teaspoon salt. Mix well and add the chicken breasts to the batter. Then fry in oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towel and set aside.
In a pan, add the tomato paste, jam, sugar, white vinegar, ½ cup water, and 1-2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a light boil and add the bell peppers and onions. Make a slurry by combining 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1½ teaspoon water, and add to the sauce to thicken. Then add the pineapple chunks and turn off the heat. Pour the sauce over the fried chicken pieces and serve hot.
Enjoy^-^
