The Tantalizing Flavors of Spicy Chinese BBQ Chicken

My taste for Chinese food will never diminish as there is something about this cuisine that makes it so easy to cook and features no complications whatsoever. In fact what’s great about Chinese food is the flexibility of options which you can modify to concoct your own particular style. Today I’ve chosen to highlight Chinese BBQ Chicken using a simplified version of Chinese BBQ sauce rather than follow the complicated versions available online.

You can make this at home or even purchase it from Kolkata’s Chinatown where it is referred to as Sam Pak Chong (meaning a combo of three different sauces).

Spicy Chinese BBQ Chicken

• 500 gms Chicken with bone cut into chunks
• BBQ sauce (Chinese)- ¼ cup
• Star anise 3-4 pieces
• Diced capsicum-1 pc
• Diced tomato-2 pcs
• Sliced green chilli-3-pcs
• 1.5 tblsp chopped garlic
• Shredded ginger- 1 tblsp

For the BBQ sauce

Chinese BBQ sauce is similar to continental bbq sauce but without the smoky flavor and its hot and sweet. You can get it in  Kolkata’s Sing Cheung or Pou Chong provision stores in Kolkata’s China town area or you can make your own using 20% red chilli sauce, 10% black soya sauce and 70% regular tomato sauce. If you like it hot, add more chili sauce or add red chilli flakes or paste while cooking.

For the marination

Marinate chicken with bone with ginger garlic paste, soya sauce, salt; sprinkle some flour over the chicken pieces. Then fry in semi-deep oil till semi brown. Cut or poke leg pieces with a fork. Pieces should be big chunks as they will reduce after frying. Remove. A word of advice, don’t deep or shallow fry in a nonstick pan it isn’t healthy as the high heat will release toxic vapors. Use tempered cast iron or stainless steel. Try these out as they are quite affordable.

1. Heat oil, add ginger garlic paste, chopped garlic a few juliennes of ginger, sliced green chili

2. Add chicken, add bbq sauce, add 4 to 5 pieces of star anise, add capsicum, onions a tablespoon of stock and stir fry

3. Add 5/6 tablespoons of stock (this is a semi-dry dish. It won't taste the same with gravy), lower flame, add the tomato and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Now stir on high flame for a few minutes adding some cornflour if required. You can sprinkle some chili flakes over the dish if you want it spicier and for garnishing too. BTW I have not added MSG as I never use it. I have also not mentioned salt as the sauce may already be salty. For added flavor add a dash of white soya sauce.

Now when I say dark soya or white soya what you need to know is that in Chinese restaurants two kinds of soya sauce is used. One is called A or dark soya and adds the typical soya flavor as well as color. The other type is referred to as C soya sauce and has a salty flavor. When you use the c type is careful of how much salt you use. If you are confused by now, stick to the soya sauce you get in-store shops as this is a combination of both but leans more to the darker side like the Sith. (That was my favorite movie)

Here’s another recipe to make Asian BBQ sauce

6 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon honey

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

1/8 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

1/3 cup sugar

Stir together all ingredients over low heat till sugar is dissolved. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate. Use whenever required.