Sweet & Sour Chicken, a popular Chinese dish, can be found throughout Malaysia, cooked up in homes or in restaurants and hawker stalls. It has become a cross-cultural dish; a metaphor of Malaysia’s peaceful diversity, as Sweet & Sour is derived from the merging of two contrast flavors of which complement a variety of meat and vegetable dishes.
To cook up this easy sweet & sour chicken, you start by deep frying bite-sized chicken pieces until crispy golden brown, then lightly coat with sweet & sour sauce, and finally mix with colorful, crunchy vegetables. A different texture and flavor in every bite.
To add a Malaysian touch to this sweet & sour chicken dish, you can toss in freshly cut pineapple. But to make this truly a Malaysian dish, it needs to be spiced up. So for a fiery kick, you can also add in some spicy, dried red chili peppers.
A vibrant, Asian home cooked meal, best savored with a bowl of steamed rice. Enjoy!
Malaysian Sweet & Sour Chicken recipe
Ingredients
- 2 boneless chicken breast – cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 red bell pepper – cut into small squares
- 1/2 green bell pepper – cut into small squares
- 1/3 cup pineapple chunks
- 1/2 red onion – cut into small squares
- 2 cloves garlic – finely chopped
- Dried red chilies
- Oil for frying
- Sesame seeds to sprinkle over optional
For the marinade:
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 egg white – lightly beaten
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Dash of white pepper
- 1 tbsp Chinese rice wine or sherry optional
For the batter:
- 1/2 cup cornflour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
For the sweet and sour sauce:
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 3 tbsp chili sauce I used Lingham Chili Sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 1 tsp grated ginger optional
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix the chicken pieces with the marinade, and let sit for 15 minutes. Prepare the batter and the sweet & sour sauce in separate bowls.
- Heat oil in a wok on high. The oil should be ready after a minute, but you can check by sticking the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil, and if bubbles form around it, the oil is ready. When ready, turn the flame down to medium-low. (Safety note: Never heat oil unattended).
- Coat the chicken cubes with the batter, shake off any excess batter, and place carefully into the wok. Deep-fry until golden brown, then dish out and drain on paper towels.
- In a frying pan, heat two tablespoons of oil, and sauté garlic (and dried red chili) until fragrant. Mix in the bell peppers and onions, and stir briefly over high heat until aromatic. Lower heat to medium, and add the prepared sauce and pineapples. Continue to stir-fry until the sauce thickens.
- Add a bowl of rice to each plate. Place chicken pieces on plate, and pour sweet & sour sauce on top of chicken. Finally, sprinkle sesame seeds on sauce and rice.