Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients

• chicken breast — 300 g (1 large), diced
• roasted peanuts — 1/3 cup
• dried chilies — 8 pieces, cut in half
• bell pepper — 1/2, diced
• soy sauce — 2 tbsp
• cornstarch — 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
• rice vinegar — 1 tbsp
• sugar — 1 tbsp
• cooking oil — 2 tbsp
• scallions — 2 stalks, chopped

Steps (beginner-friendly)

1. Dice the chicken into 1.5 cm cubes. In a bowl, mix it with 1 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tbsp cornstarch; let it marinate 10 minutes while you prep everything else.
2. In a small bowl stir the sauce: 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp cornstarch, and 2 tbsp water.
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the dried chilies and stir 20 seconds until they darken slightly and smell spicy (don't let them burn).
4. Turn the heat to high, add the chicken with its marinade, and stir-fry 3-4 minutes until the pieces turn white all over and no pink remains.
5. Add the diced bell pepper and stir-fry 1 minute until slightly softened but still crunchy.
6. Give the sauce a quick re-stir (cornstarch sinks) and pour it in. Toss 1 minute until the sauce thickens and coats everything with a glossy shine.
7. Turn off the heat, stir in the peanuts and chopped scallions, and serve hot with rice.