for the chicken:
1 pound chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 egg white
3 tablespoons cornstarch
sauce:
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
few tablespoons of chopped green onion
dried red chilies (optional)
3/4 cup chicken stock or water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 tablespoon chili/garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (for a thinner sauce, start with a tablespoon)
rice:
1 cup jasmine or basmati rice
1 3/4 cups water
generous pinch of salt
Bring the water and salt to a boil, add the rice, stir and cover. Cook for 20 minutes over low heat. Turn the heat off, let set for 10 minutes, fluff with a fork.
Preparation
Cook the rice:
Bring the water and salt to a boil, add the rice, stir and cover. Cook for 20 minutes over low heat. Turn the heat off, let set for 10 minutes, fluff with a fork.
Marinate the chicken
Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, egg white and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Whisk together to a creamy consistency.
Toss the chicken in batter to coat. Allow to sit while preparing the sauce.
Make the sauce
Heat canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, green onions and red chiles (if using) and stir around until very fragrant - 30 seconds to a minute.
Add in the chicken stock or water.Then add the sesame oil, soy sauce, tomato paste, rice wine vinegar, chili/garlic paste, and the brown sugar. Mix this together very well and bring it up to a boil.
Adjust the taste to make the sauce spicier or sweeter adding a little more vinegar for extra tang.
Combine a few tablespoons of the the warm sauce in a measuring cup with 1 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch and whisk until there are no clumps.
Pour that mixture back into the sauce pan and let boil for a few minutes until thick.
Set the heat to low.
Cook the chicken
Heat a pan over medium high heat with a small amount of oil covering the entire bottom. Make sure the oil is very hot before you add the chicken.
Cook the chicken in multiple batches for a couple of minutes on each side to get it crisp and golden brown on all sides. Use a wire screen to cover the pan as oil may splatter.
Once a batch of chicken is cooked, set it aside on a plate.
Combine chicken and sauce in a clean pan. Mix to combine and let simmer together for a few minutes.
Serve over white rice with chopped green onion and some steamed veggies
