Dragon Chicken

Name: Dragon Chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Indo Chinese
Ingredients: 1 large Chicken breast; 1 teaspoon red chilly paste; 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste; 1/4 teaspoon green chilly paste; 2 tablespoon cornflour; 1 tablespoon beaten egg or egg white; 1/2 of each red, yellow and green bell pepper cut into julienne; 1/2 of a onion cut into thin slices; Oil for deep frying; 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic; 1/2 teaspoon chopped ginger; 1 whole red chilly cut into pieces; 10 - 12 roasted or golden fried cashew nuts; 1/2 teaspoon red chilly sauce; 1/2 teaspoon red chilly paste; 1/3 teaspoon pepper powder; 1/3 teaspoon madras curry powder; Salt as taste; Seasoning powder(optional); Some chopped green spring onions; 1 tablespoon slurry (cornflour); 2 tablespoon cooking oil

Mobasir hassan

14 October

Restaurant style Dragon Chicken

Dragon Chicken is a popular Indo-Chinese snacks made with crispy fried Chicken strips. As the name suggest Dragon, it is indeed a spicy chicken dish made by stir frying chicken strips with vegetables and sauces. This is a typical restaurant style recipe where the secret Chefs ingredient is Madras Curry Powder.

Dishes like Dragon chicken are very popular among the young crowds due to its cooking style, stir frying under high heat flame. This gives the dishes the craziness flavor by mixing with different sauces. I am a die hard friend of this cooking style. Popular dishes like chicken lollipop, chilli chicken, chicken Manchurian and chilli paneer are all time favourite with this cooking style. You can feel the the taste of freshness like ginger, garlic and chillies with amazing flavor of sauces as well. And of course the flavor of fried chicken is really yummy. If you really like to have the recipe we prepare at restaurant then you have come to the right place. Here I bring you the best Dragon chicken recipe with step by step guide with a small video tutorial as well.

Chinese cooking technique with Indian ingredients made these kind of dishes so much popular. In india they are often regared as chinese dish when we visited any restaurants.

What is Dragon Chicken?

Dragon Chicken an appetizer or snacks of Indian Chinese cuisines where deep fried chicken strips are stir fried with a spicy combination of sauces and herbs.

Why it is called Dragon Chicken?

Mainly because of its spicy hot flavor. In Chinese mythology, Dragon are supposed to breathing fire which is hot. The full name of this dish is Dragon fire Chicken which is generally served in a hot sizzler plate at restaurants. Thin strips of chicken are like dragon which are hot in taste like dragon fire.

How much time required to make the recipe?

The total time taken to make the recipe is under 30 minutes. Which includes a preparation time of 20 minutes and cooking time of 10 minutes.

Secret ingredient for Dragon Chicken

Do you know there is a secret ingredient generally use at restaurant while making a dragon Chicken?

Yes to enhance the flavor and taste of the dragon chicken, Madras curry powder is use at restaurant while making the dish. Madras curry powder is a subtle blend of aromatic spices, with a mild chilli kick. this curry powder was invented for British during 19th century, originally hailing from the city of Madras ( now known as Chennai). If you like a make home style Madras curry powder then this recipe can be useful.

How to make Red Chilly paste for Dragon Chicken?

Red chilly paste is a very very important ingredient in our Desi Chinese cuisines. It gives a dish the required bright red glossy color appearance. This chilly paste does not add any extra spicy flavor to the dish. Tt only gives the color and help to make the sauce little bit more thick.

To make this paste Kashmiri red chilly whole are used. First deseeded the chilly and boil them for 10 - 15 minute. Cool them under ice cool water. Add them in a mixer grinder and grind into a fine smooth paste. If required add some water while grinding. After that heat a pan with some oil under medium flame fire. when the oil become hot, lower the gas flame and add the chilly paste. Cook them for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove and cool down completely. You can make this chilly paste in large amount to store in freezer for 15 days as well.

If you love dragon Chicken then I am sure you would love the recipe of chicken Manchurian as well.

How to make Dragon Chicken at home

This is a perfect recipe that you can make at home to surprised everyone. The required ingredients are almost available in your pantry kitchen. So make this recipe and enjoy a wonderful evening.

First cut the chicken breast into thin strips. Marinate and coat with red chilly paste, ginger garlic paste, green chilli paste, salt, corn flour and beaten eggs. Cover and keep aside for 5 minutes to absorb the flavors.
Cut and slice the capsicum, onion, bell peppers, ginger, garlic and spring onions. Fry the cashew nuts till golden brown.
Heat oil in a kadai and fry the chicken strips till golden brown.
Now heat a pan with oil and add the capsicum, bell peppers, onion, whole red chilly and stir fry in high flame fire. Then add the chopped onion, ginger, garlic, green chilly paste and fried cashew nuts and stir fry.
Next add red chilly sauce, red chilly paste, tomato sauce, mix and add some water. Cook the sauces for few seconds.
Then add soya sauce, pepper powder, salt and madras curry powder. Add the fried chicken strips and mix everything evenly.
Pour some slurry(corn flour) to thicken the sauce so that the chicken strips get nicely coated.
Sprinkle spring onions and remove. Your Dragon chicken is ready to serve.

If you want to know more about Parsley and it's benefits then here is a article for you Parsley in Hindi.

Dragon Chicken recipe Video

Ingredients required to make the recipe

1 large Chicken breast
1 teaspoon red chilly paste
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1/4 teaspoon green chilly paste
2 tablespoon cornflour
1 tablespoon beaten egg or egg white
1/2 of each red, yellow and green bell pepper cut into julienne
1/2 of a onion cut into thin slices
Oil for deep frying

For stir frying

1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon chopped ginger
1 whole red chilly cut into pieces
10 - 12 roasted or golden fried cashew nuts
1/2 teaspoon red chilly sauce
1/2 teaspoon red chilly paste
1/2 teaspoon tomato sauce
1/3 teaspoon green chilly paste
1/3 teaspoon pepper powder
1/3 teaspoon madras curry powder
Salt as taste
Seasoning powder(optional)
Some chopped green spring onions
1 tablespoon slurry (cornflour)
2 tablespoon cooking oil

How to prepare dragon chicken

1. Coating and marinating the Chicken

Dragon Chicken is made using boneless chicken breast pieces. Here I have taken only one single chicken breast and sliced it into two parts. Then cut them into thin strips around half inch width. Now add half teaspoon red chilly paste, ginger garlic paste, around 1/4 teaspoon green chilli paste, 2 tablespoon corn flour, 2 tablespoon beaten egg and salt as per your taste. Mix them nicely so that all the chicken strips are get evenly coated. Cover and let them marinated for 5 to 6 minutes to absorb the flavours.

chicken strips marinated for dragon chicken

2. Cutting and chopping

Cut the bell peppers and capsicum into julienne shape and onion into thin slices. Finely chopped the ginger and garlic. You can avoid to use the bell peppers if not available at your pantry, capsicum and onion also yield a good result. You can either roast the cashew nuts or fry them till golden brown. Roughly chopped the green spring onions and cut the whole red chilly into two or three parts.

chicken strips and bell pepper, capsicum slices for dragon chicken

3. Frying the Chicken

Heat a kadai or small deep vessel pan with enough cooking oil under medium heat flame. When the oil become hot lower the gas flame to low and carefully add the chicken strips one by one into the hot oil. Fry them until become crisp golden from all sides. Remove them on a absorbent paper to absorb any excess oil.

crisp deep fried chicken strips for dragon chicken

4. Stir frying and making dragon chicken

Heat a non stick pan or Chinese wok with one tablespoon oil under medium flame heat gas fire. Add the bell peppers, capsicum, onion and pieces of whole red chilly. Stir fry them for few seconds in high flame heat. Then add chopped onion, chopped ginger, garlic, green chilly paste and cashew nuts. Stir fry them for one minute.

stir frying onion,capsicum, bellpepper, ginger, garlic for dragon chicken

Now add red chilly paste, red chilly sauce, tomato sauce and give them a good mix.

stir frying vegetables with sauces for dragon chicken

Add some water and cook the sauces for few seconds. Then add soya sauce, white pepper powder, salt and madras curry powder and cook further for few seconds. Now add the fried chicken strips and mix well with the sauces so that the chicken pieces are get well coated with them.

stir frying fried chicken with sauces and vegetables for dragon chicken

Pour 2 tablespoon corn flour slurry over the chicken mixture and mix well. Finally sprinkle some chopped spring onions and give a final mix. Remove on a serving plate and serve hot.

Nutritional values ( serving size 1 serving)

Calorie :- 640 kcal
Fats :- 34 g
Carbohydrate :- 46 g
Protein :- 40 g

Tips to make best dragon chicken

Use Chicken breast for the recipe and cut them into thin strips.
Use green chilly paste and madras curry powder.
To give it a restaurant style touch, red chilly paste is important to mix with the sauces.
Do not use all purpose flour(maida) with corn flour to coat the chicken.
Fry the chicken strips under medium low flame heat until become crisps golden.
Do not over cook the bell pepper, capsicum and onion.
You can escape to use the egg for coating. Instead use very little amount of water with corn flour.

Frequently asked questions

1. Can dragon Chicken be used in sizzler?

Yes dragon Chicken is often used as a sizzler dish at restaurant. In sizzler it is known as dragon fire chicken which is served over a hot sizzler plate with noodles or fried rice.

2. What to do with the leftover dragon Chicken?

The leftover dragon Chicken become soggy and it is not advisable to reheat them. You won't get the same taste and flavours. You can use them to make a gravy version of it.

3. What is the taste of dragon Chicken?

You can feel the crispiness of the chicken strips with a spicy combination of sweet and more of hot flavors. Flavor of garlic, onion and ginger with an aromatic essence of Madras curry powder.

4. Can dragon Chicken be made ahead?

Yes you can make this recipe ahead of your any social events or family events. You can fry the chicken strips upto 80% done, remove and keep aside to cool down. Similarly make the dragon sauce by sauteeing the ginger, garlic, onion in a pan. Then add th red chilly paste, red chilly sauce, tomato sauce, soya sauce, green chilly paste, pepper powder, madras curry powder, salt and small amount of water. Cook the sauce for one minute then add slurry and mix. Sprinkle spring onion and remove the sauce. Cool down completely.

Before making the recipe just fry the chicken till completely done and crisp. Take a pan add oil and stir fry the bell pepper, capsicum and onion with whole red chilly and fried cashew nuts. Then add the prepared sauce and mix. Add very small amount of water if the sauce become thick. Add the chicken strips and mix very well so that the sauce can well incorporated. Sprinkle onion and remove to serve.

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