Oriental Black Pepper Chicken

Oriental Black Pepper Chicken 

They say necessity is the mother of all invention. For this particular recipe it was bottles of sauces beyond their expiry dates being sold at Big Bazaar which led to the creation of the sauce, well that along with my strong love for Calcutta's Chinese dishes which are on the verge of extinction.

So here goes the recipe for Oriental Black Pepper Chicken

Serves 2 :-

200gm to 250gm chicken de-boned breasts
Salt as per taste
Rice flour or corn flour  for dredging
2 cups of chopped Chinese cabbage
1 tbsp oil (Sesame or refined)

For the marinate sauce :-

2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp black pepper
Salt as per taste (I used 3/4th tsp)
1 fat clove of garlic
1 tsp Sesame oil or refined oil

Start by making a smooth paste of the ingredients for the marinate sauce. Transfer it to a bowl and mix very well. Then make small cubes of the chicken and use half the marinate and let it marinate for 1 hour to 2 hours.

Now heat the oil in a non-stick pan. In case you are not using a non-stick pan use a bit of extra oil. Dredge the chicken in rice flour / corn flour and saute on high heat to seal the juices and then turn down the heat and cover and cook for 40 seconds on each side. It should be golden brown by the time you are done with both the sides. Leave it to rest.Now add the remaining  marinate along with 3/4th cup water and bring to a boil and add salt after tasting. Simmer for 2 minutes and add the chicken and cabbage and simmer covered for sometime.

In case you want a thick sauce, mix 2 tsp flour / cornflour with a bit of water to create a smooth paste and add to the simmering sauce before adding the chicken and cabbage.

Enjoy it with steaming hot rice