Chinese Almond Chicken Recipe

Ever wonder why Chinese food is so popular all over the world?! Every country seems to have their own version of Chinese food – dishes that are actually obscure and even unknown in China. The western world as well as the Indian subcontinent did not go for the Chinese delicacies but instead for more economic and filling foods based around noodles and rice.

Besides the exotic taste of the ingredients which is very different from any other cuisine, the main attraction is convenience, affordability and speed. Chinese food became known for delivery everywhere. Ready to eat, inexpensive, hot food, delivered right to your doorstep became popular very fast with working and middle class people everywhere.

In Pakistan we are very fond of Chinese food, almost as much as we are of our own desi cuisine. It has survived and given tough competition to the Italian, Middle Eastern, Mexican, French and now the Japanese restaurants trying to win a niche in the food loving Pakistani society.

Nothing beats the speed and comfort of a good Chinese stir fry with lots of crunchy vegetables and lip smacking, sour and salty sauce over a steaming hot bowl of rice.
Chinese Almond Chicken recipe is one of the most popular on Pakistani Chinese restaurant menus. There is so much going on for this quick and simple preparation in terms of flavour and texture. Almond Chicken Recipe consists of batter fried chicken pieces, crunchy stir fried vegetables and almonds, coated with a mild, black pepper sauce.

You can use almonds with or without skins per your preference. I don’t usually remove skins unless it’s really necessary for a certain recipe because the skins are completely edible and a great source of almond nutrition. Just remember to soak almonds to make them more easy to digest.

A number of ingredients go really well with this Chicken Almond Recipe other than the ones I’ve used. Eggplants, cauliflower, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, baby corn can be some of the interesting choices.

1/4 kg boneless chicken cut into almond size pieces
4 tablespoons corn flour
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1 cup almonds, with or without skins
1 big bell pepper, cut into cubes
1 carrot, peeled and cut into thin strips
1 cup peas
1 medium onion, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
3-4 tablespoons sunflower oil

Mix 2 tablespoons corn flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a bowl or deep plate.

Add chicken pieces to the flour and mix thoroughly to coat them. Set aside for 10 minutes while you prepare the vegetables.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok or deep frying pan. Add garlic, almonds and all the other vegetables. Stir fry for 4-5 minutes or till the vegetables are cooked but still crunchy. Remove them from the pan.

Add 2 tablespoons more oil to the same wok or pan. Add chicken pieces and stir fry till they are golden and crispy on the out side, around 2-3 minutes.

Add cooked vegetables and almonds back to the pan.

Mix 2 tablespoons remaining cornflour, soy sauce, vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl with 2 cups water.

Add this sauce mix to the chicken, vegetables and almonds in the pan. Stir as the sauce thickens and becomes glossy. It gets done pretty quickly.

Serve hot over steamed rice or egg noodles.

Serves 2