Feel like something tangy, spicy, sweet and citrusy all at the same time? Orange chicken has all the mentioned culinary delights and more—it’s totally yummy and if you don’t feel like forking money or time to dine out—you can easily make your own. My version has none of the doughy texture and it’s not fried in vats of reused oil (can create free radicals in your body and that in turn can generate cancer and cardiovascular diseases). It is lightly coated with corn flour and pan-fried with enough oil to brown it. Come with me and you’ll see want I mean.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts diced and marinate with a touch of salt, brown sugar and sesame oil. Set aside
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 thumb o f ginger, sliced thinly
• 4 to 5 thin slices of fresh orange peel
• 4 to 5 pods of dried chilies
• 2 stalks of green onion cut into 2” lengths

Sauce: Mix all the following in a bowl.

• 3 tbs of ketchup
• 2 tbs of oyster sauce
• 1 tb of soya sauce
• 1 tb of brown sugar or organic sugar
• 2 tbs of freshly-squeezed orange juice
• 1 tb of Sherry or Shaoxing wine (Chinese wine)
• ½ tsp of corn starch to thicken the sauce
• Additional salt and sugar to taste

Directions:

1. Coat diced chicken lightly with corn flour and fry in pan filled with about 1” of oil.
2. Dish it out once it turns golden brown and set aside.
3. In a pan coated with sesame oil, sauté garlic, ginger, onion, dried chilies and  orange peel until fragrant.
4. Add chicken and carrots, followed by sauce.
5. Lower heat and mix all the ingredients thoroughly.
6. Throw in green onions just before dishing out.

The orange chicken is ready to eat. Couple that with brown rice or if you feel like indulging yourself and not worry about glycemic index, expanding waistline, empty carbs—go for white Jasmine rice. It’s heavenly.

 Other Chinese recipes to try:

Kung Pao Noodles

Laksa Chicken

Ginger Scallion Tilipia with Tofu

Singapore Noodles