Spice, spice maybe? Indian chefs share recipes for innovative versions of classic Chinese dishes like chicken chilli and fried rice

Most of us in Mumbai who are used to street food has grown up eating cheap Chinese from the local ‘gaadi'. Over the years, it has become our comfort food, which needs to be indulged once a week if not more to fulfill our cravings. The touch of sweet, sour and spicy are a beautiful burst of flavours that are soothing and probably the best when eating while watching a movie with either friends or family. The best part about Chinese food is that it can also be made at home, and that is also what encourages Gen-Z to put on their chef's hat and experiment with flavours according to their mood, as they reveal to us in an earlier mid-day.com article. (interlink the article in reference here)

Parents of Gen-Z folks have observed that they are looking to add a touch of their own, unlike the earlier generations that usually ate what they were served. With Chinese dishes being a quick and easy fix, there is always room for experiments especially with the classic Chilli Chicken or Chicken Fried Rice, if not the others because who can say no to these classic dishes, right? So, it is no surprise to us when we check with chefs from all over India about how they are experimenting with these classic dishes.

While chilli chicken seems to be more popular in their experiment, they also take the liberty to add a bit of colour and more to their classic fried rice, making you want to elevate the dish like you have never before. The chefs say Gen-Z and other generations looking to add a little spice to their meals can make a dry version of the chilli chicken. You can also simply make use of seasonal greens and give it a spice hit with green chillies or simply put them onto skewers and serve them with a stir fry of quinoa and broccoli, if not the classic fried rice. Last but not least, make dragon chicken by using flaming Hot Cheetos. There is also a recipe in here for blue butterfly pea vegetable fried rice, inspired from the classic to pair with any of these dishes that you like to to elevate your meal on any day.

Chilly Chicken Dry
While you may have had the classic version of the Chicken Chilli, which is usually made with copious amounts of sauce, Amulya Kumar Das, sous chef at Novotel Goa Candolim in Goa, wants you to make another version - Chicken Chilly Dry, as it appears on the menu, that is quite popular in some parts. He shares, "My philosophy centers around creating visually stunning and palate-pleasing dishes. This dish exemplifies that perfectly, with its combination of vibrant colours and mouthwatering flavors. It features chicken, bursting with chili spice, nestled alongside fluffy fried rice."

Ingredients:

For the chicken marination:

For the mixing:
Chicken leg (boneless, cleaned and sliced) 100 gm
Oil 1 tsp
Corn flour 1 tsp
Salt 1 tsp
White pepper powder 1/2 tsp
For the chilli sauce:
Garlic chopped 1 tsp
Chilli, diced 10 gm
Capsicum, diced 10 gm
Onion, diced 10 gm
Dark soya sauce 1 tsp
Chicken broth 1 tsp
Corn flour 5 tsp
Salt 1 tsp

Method:

For boneless chicken leg:
1. Prepare the chicken leg boneless cutting around the slice, and keep it separate.
2. Marinate with salt and pepper and keep on repeating this step until all of your chicken seasoning is finished.

For boneless chicken leg sauté:
1. In a medium saucepan, add oil and chicken, sauté for 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat until golden brown, then remove from the heat and keep it separate.
2. Now put the oil in a chinese wok, add chopped garlic, diced chilly, capsicum, diced onion, dark soy sauce, sautéd chicken, and salt. Let it cook to doneness. Stir, taste and adjust accordingly.

Garden Green Chilli Chicken
Making use of the greens around you, Sher Oli, chef de partie at Taj Fort Aguada says you can make Garden Green Chilli Chicken. He explains, "Garden green chilli chicken is a flavourful and vibrant dish that combines tender chicken pieces with fresh garden vegetables and the bold heat of green chillies. The star of this dish is the green chillies, which add a fiery kick and distinctive flavour to the chicken."

Ingredients:
Chicken morsels 250 gm
Ginger garlic paste 20 gm
Salt 5 gm
Black pepper 5 gm
Corn flour 20 gm
Refine flour 20 gm
Capsicum dice 1 no
Green chillies 6 nos
Coriander 100 gm
Spring onion 50 gm
Onion, medium size 1 no
Ginger and garlic, chopped 10 gm
Green chilli sauce 10 gm
Oil 30 ml

Method:
1. For chicken marination, add diced chicken, ginger garlic paste, salt, black pepper, corn flour, and refined flour. Mix all this in a bowl. Deep fry the marinated chicken till it is light brown.
2. For the green chilli paste, take 4-5 pieces of diced capsicum, 2-3 green chilli, coriander, 2-3 spring onion, 1 teaspoon ginger, and 1 teaspoon garlic. Blend them.
3. For the sauce, finely chop 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1 tablespoon onion, dice 4-5 pieces capsicum, 4-5 pieces onion, 2-3 pieces green chilli.
4. Take a pan, add 2 tablespoon oil. Add the vegetable and sauté it till it is light brown. Then add diced capsicum and onion. Then mix green chilli paste. Add the seasoning.
5. At last, add fried chicken to the sauce. Mix all together. Then you can serve it on the plate. Garnish with spring onion or coriander.

Chilli Chicken Skewers and Quinoa Broccoli Stir Fry
Always wanting to innovate with the classic Chilli Chicken, Bhushan Ganorkar, executive chef at DoubleTree by Hilton Goa Panaji wants you to experiment with Chilli Chicken Skewers and Quinoa Broccoli Stir Fry. Ganorkar shares, "Chilli chicken, a pan-Asian delicacy, traditionally involves extensive frying. However, we have given a health-conscious and innovative touch to the classic recipe by incorporating nutrient-rich superfoods such as quinoa and broccoli."

Ingredients:

Chilli Chicken Skewers:
Boneless and skinless chicken thighs cut into small bite-size pieces 300 gm
Oil for frying

For batter:
Corn flour 2 tbsp
Plain flour 1 tbsp
Kashmiri chilli powder or mild paprika 1/2 tsp
Coarsely ground black pepper powder 1/2 tsp
Garlic and ginger paste 1 tsp
Pinch of salt
Vinegar 1 tbsp
Water 3 tbsp

For sauce:
Vegetable oil 2 tbsp
Spring onions finely chopped (set aside the green ends for garnish) 4 nos
Green chilli cut in three (add more if you like it spicy) 1 nos
Garlic, finely chopped 8-10 nos
Ginger, finely chopped 1/2 inch
Green pepper, diced 220 gm
Red onion, diced 80 gm
Chilli garlic sauce 1 tbsp
Kecap manis (dark sticky soy) 3 tbsp
Water 50 ml
Corn flour mixed with 2 tsp of water 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Heat oil in a wide saucepan or a wok to a level of 1 cm. In a mixing bowl, add the corn flour, plain flour, chilli powder, and black pepper and ginger garlic paste along with the salt. Add the vinegar and water; mix to make a thick batter. Add the chicken pieces to it and mix well coating all the pieces with the batter.
2. Fry the chicken in the hot oil in batches for 1-2 minutes. They should have a slight colour all over. Drain the chicken on kitchen paper and set aside.
3. To make the sauce, heat the vegetable oil in a wok or kadhai on medium heat. Add the white part of the spring onions and fry for a few seconds followed by the green chilli, chopped garlic and chopped ginger. Fry for 10 seconds and add the green peppers along with the red onions. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until they begin to soften.
4. Add the chilli garlic sauce and the dark sticky soy (kecap manis) and stir well. Add the water and bring to a boil and simmer for 1 minute on low heat. Add the corn flour water mix, season to taste and simmer for a further 2 minutes as it begins to thicken. Turn the heat off and cool the sauce slightly.
5. When you are ready to serve add the fried chicken pieces to the gravy, stirring well making sure to coat all the pieces with the sauce evenly. Simmer the sauce on a low heat for a minute.
6. Put into the bamboo skewers for the presentation.

Ingredients:

Stir-fried quinoa broccoli:

For cooking quinoa:
Quinoa 1 cup
Oil 1 tsp
Salt 1 tsp
Water for boiling

For fried quinoa:
Oil 2 tbsp
Garlic, finely chopped 2 cloves
Onion, finely chopped 1/2 nos
Spring onion, chopped 4 tbsp
Broccoli, finely chopped 1/4 cup
Capsicum, finely chopped 1/4 no
Salt 3/4 tsp
Soy sauce 2 tbsp
Vinegar 1 tbsp
Pepper, crushed 1 tsp
Salt ¼ tsp

Method:
1. Firstly, in a large kadai, heat 2 tbsp oil and stir-fry 2 clove garlic.
2. Saute 1/2 onion and 2 tbsp spring onion until they sweat.
3. Furthermore add vegetables of your choice like ¼ Broccoli, ¼ capsicum and ½ tsp salt.
4. Stir fry on high flame without overcooking vegetables.
5. Now add 2 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tbsp vinegar. stir-fry until the sauce is combined well.
6. Keeping the flame on high, add cooked quinoa.
7. Also, add 1 tsp pepper and ¼ tsp salt. Adjust the salt as soy sauce has salt.
8. Further, add 2 tbsp spring onions and mix well.

Dragon Chicken
Every one of us loves the spicy chicken chilli, which is popular, but many chefs are giving it their twist taking inspiration from world cuisines, and Ram, chef at Uncultured Cafe - Sky Culture in Delhi's Kailash Colony is one of them. He wants you to make Dragon Chicken, which is a part of their upcoming new Chef's' Special Menu, which will launch today. He explains, "A modern Japanese twist on our staple Chilli Chicken with the addition of the crowd favourite - Flaming Hot Cheetos, and a topping of wasabi peas for that extra crunch."

Ingredients:
Chicken breast 2
Refined flour 100 gm
Oyster sauce 100 ml
Korean paste 100 gms
Garlic 4 cloves
Flaming hot Cheetos as per requirement
Ginger 50 gms
Chilli paste 10 gms
Tomato ketchup as per requirement
Wasabi peas as per requirement

Method:
1. Coat the chicken and fry in a mixture of flour and crushed Cheetos.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss it in a wok.
3. Season to taste.
4. Top with wasabi peas.

Blue Butterfly Pea Veggie Medley Fried Rice
The classic Chicken fried rice is a favourite but what if you twisted it and elevated it to become a new dish? Tushar Malkani, chef at The Yellow House in Goa's Anjuna says you should make the Blue Butterfly Pea Veggie Medley Fried Rice. He explains, "It is beautifully coloured using Blue Butterfly Pea Powder to turn the classic all-time favorite dish with a delicious colourful gorgeous twist. It is quick and easy to make, customisable with any of your favorite mix-ins, and irresistibly delicious and thus an instant mood lifter. This is one meal your whole family will agree on."

Ingredients: (Good for 2-3 Servings):
Uncooked short grain rice 1 cup makes 3 cups cooked
Water 1 cup
Suncore Foods Blue Butterfly Pea Powder 1/4 tsp
Oil 2 tbsp
Salt or to taste 3/4 tsp
Pepper as per requirement
Vegetables use and cut as per your choice
Onion, diced 1 no
Garlic, minced 2 cloves
Corn 1/2 cup
Peas 1/2 cup
Carrots, diced 1/2 cup
Kale, chopped as per requirement
Red bell pepper, diced 1 no
Purple cabbage, chopped 1 cup

Method:
1. Wash rice through running water about 2 to 3 times. In a rice cooker, add the water, washed rice, and blue butterfly pea powder. Leave to cook and then cool for 15 minutes. Cooling the rice prevents it from being too sticky and mushy when stir-frying.
2. In a large pan or skillet, heat 2 tbsp oil. Add the chopped onion and garlic to it. Saute until cooked through and garlic is lightly brown. Add the rest of the vegetables. Season with 3/4 tsp salt, or to taste and some pepper. Mix in the cooled rice.
3. Leave to cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium high heat. Serve and enjoy.