Dragon Chicken

Name: Dragon Chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Indo Chinese
Ingredients: 1 large Chicken breast; 1 teaspoon red chilly paste; 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste; 1/4 teaspoon green chilly paste; 2 tablespoon cornflour; 1 tablespoon beaten egg or egg white; 1/2 of each red, yellow and green bell pepper cut into julienne; 1/2 of a onion cut into thin slices; Oil for deep frying; 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic; 1/2 teaspoon chopped ginger; 1 whole red chilly cut into pieces; 10 - 12 roasted or golden fried cashew nuts; 1/2 teaspoon red chilly sauce; 1/2 teaspoon red chilly paste; 1/3 teaspoon pepper powder; 1/3 teaspoon madras curry powder; Salt as taste; Seasoning powder(optional); Some chopped green spring onions; 1 tablespoon slurry (cornflour); 2 tablespoon cooking oil

Mobasir hassan

14 October

Restaurant style Dragon Chicken

Dragon Chicken is a popular Indo-Chinese snacks made with crispy fried Chicken strips. As the name suggest Dragon, it is indeed a spicy chicken dish made by stir frying chicken strips with vegetables and sauces. This is a typical restaurant style recipe where the secret Chefs ingredient is Madras Curry Powder.

Dishes like Dragon chicken are very popular among the young crowds due to its cooking style, stir frying under high heat flame. This gives the dishes the craziness flavor by mixing with different sauces. I am a die hard friend of this cooking style. Popular dishes like chicken lollipop, chilli chicken, chicken Manchurian and chilli paneer are all time favourite with this cooking style. You can feel the the taste of freshness like ginger, garlic and chillies with amazing flavor of sauces as well. And of course the flavor of fried chicken is really yummy. If you really like to have the recipe we prepare at restaurant then you have come to the right place. Here I bring you the best Dragon chicken recipe with step by step guide with a small video tutorial as well.

Chinese cooking technique with Indian ingredients made these kind of dishes so much popular. In india they are often regarded as chinese dish when we visited any restaurants.

What is Dragon Chicken?

Dragon Chicken an appetizer or snacks of Indian Chinese cuisines where deep fried chicken strips are stir fried with a spicy combination of sauces and herbs.

Why it is called Dragon Chicken?

Mainly because of its spicy hot flavor. In Chinese mythology, Dragon are supposed to breathing fire which is hot. The full name of this dish is Dragon fire Chicken which is generally served in a hot sizzler plate at restaurants. Thin strips of chicken are like dragon which are hot in taste like dragon fire.

How much time required to make the recipe?

The total time taken to make the recipe is under 30 minutes. Which includes a preparation time of 20 minutes and cooking time of 10 minutes.

Secret ingredient for Dragon Chicken

Do you know there is a secret ingredient generally use at restaurant while making a dragon Chicken?

Yes to enhance the flavor and taste of the dragon chicken, Madras curry powder is use at restaurant while making the dish. Madras curry powder is a subtle blend of aromatic spices, with a mild chilli kick. this curry powder was invented for British during 19th century, originally hailing from the city of Madras ( now known as Chennai). If you like a make home style Madras curry powder then this recipe can be useful.

How to make Red Chilly paste for Dragon Chicken?

Red chilly paste is a very very important ingredient in our Desi Chinese cuisines. It gives a dish the required bright red glossy color appearance. This chilly paste does not add any extra spicy flavor to the dish. Tt only gives the color and help to make the sauce little bit more thick.

To make this paste Kashmiri red chilly whole are used. First deseeded the chilly and boil them for 10 - 15 minute. Cool them under ice cool water. Add them in a mixer grinder and grind into a fine smooth paste. If required add some water while grinding. After that heat a pan with some oil under medium flame fire. when the oil become hot, lower the gas flame and add the chilly paste. Cook them for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove and cool down completely. You can make this chilly paste in large amount to store in freezer for 15 days as well.

If you love dragon Chicken then I am sure you would love the recipe of chicken Manchurian as well.

How to make Dragon Chicken at home

This is a perfect recipe that you can make at home to surprised everyone. The required ingredients are almost available in your pantry kitchen. So make this recipe and enjoy a wonderful evening.

First cut the chicken breast into thin strips. Marinate and coat with red chilly paste, ginger garlic paste, green chilli paste, salt, corn flour and beaten eggs. Cover and keep aside for 5 minutes to absorb the flavors.
Cut and slice the capsicum, onion, bell peppers, ginger, garlic and spring onions. Fry the cashew nuts till golden brown.
Heat oil in a kadai and fry the chicken strips till golden brown.
Now heat a pan with oil and add the capsicum, bell peppers, onion, whole red chilly and stir fry in high flame fire. Then add the chopped onion, ginger, garlic, green chilly paste and fried cashew nuts and stir fry.
Next add red chilly sauce, red chilly paste, tomato sauce, mix and add some water. Cook the sauces for few seconds.
Then add soya sauce, pepper powder, salt and madras curry powder. Add the fried chicken strips and mix everything evenly.
Pour some slurry(corn flour) to thicken the sauce so that the chicken strips get nicely coated.
Sprinkle spring onions and remove. Your Dragon chicken is ready to serve.

If you want to know more about Parsley and it's benefits then here is a article for you Parsley in Hindi.

Dragon Chicken recipe Video

Steps to make dragon chicken

1. Coating and marinating the Chicken

Dragon Chicken is made using boneless chicken breast pieces. Here I have taken only one single chicken breast and sliced it into two parts. Then cut them into thin strips around half inch width. Now add half teaspoon red chilly paste, ginger garlic paste, around 1/4 teaspoon green chilli paste, 2 tablespoon corn flour, 2 tablespoon beaten egg and salt as per your taste. Mix them nicely so that all the chicken strips are get evenly coated. Cover and let them marinated for 5 to 6 minutes to absorb the flavours.

chicken strips marinated for dragon chicken

2. Cutting and chopping

Cut the bell peppers and capsicum into julienne shape and onion into thin slices. Finely chopped the ginger and garlic. You can avoid to use the bell peppers if not available at your pantry, capsicum and onion also yield a good result. You can either roast the cashew nuts or fry them till golden brown. Roughly chopped the green spring onions and cut the whole red chilly into two or three parts.

chicken strips and bell pepper, capsicum slices for dragon chicken

3. Frying the Chicken

Heat a kadai or small deep vessel pan with enough cooking oil under medium heat flame. When the oil become hot lower the gas flame to low and carefully add the chicken strips one by one into the hot oil. Fry them until become crisp golden from all sides. Remove them on a absorbent paper to absorb any excess oil.

crisp deep fried chicken strips for dragon chicken

4. Stir frying and making dragon chicken

Heat a non stick pan or Chinese wok with one tablespoon oil under medium flame heat gas fire. Add the bell peppers, capsicum, onion and pieces of whole red chilly. Stir fry them for few seconds in high flame heat. Then add chopped onion, chopped ginger, garlic, green chilly paste and cashew nuts. Stir fry them for one minute.

stir frying onion,capsicum, bellpepper, ginger, garlic for dragon chicken

Now add red chilly paste, red chilly sauce, tomato sauce and give them a good mix.

stir frying vegetables with sauces for dragon chicken

Add some water and cook the sauces for few seconds. Then add soya sauce, white pepper powder, salt and madras curry powder and cook further for few seconds. Now add the fried chicken strips and mix well with the sauces so that the chicken pieces are get well coated with them.

stir frying fried chicken with sauces and vegetables for dragon chicken

Pour 2 tablespoon corn flour slurry over the chicken mixture and mix well. Finally sprinkle some chopped spring onions and give a final mix. Remove on a serving plate and serve hot.

Serving suggestions for Dragon Chicken

Top side dishes for dragon chicken are simple carbs like egg fried rice or Hakka noodles that soak up the spicy‑sweet sauce, plus a crisp fresh salad or sautéed greens to balance richness. For a fuller spread, add a clear soup and light stir‑fried vegetables to keep the chicken as the bold, crunchy centerpiece

Dragon Chicken Recipe

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Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Yields: 2-3 servings

By [Mobasir Hassan]

A popular restaurant-style Indo-Chinese dish featuring crispy fried chicken strips tossed in a fiery, sweet, and savory sauce with bell peppers and cashews.

Ingredients

For the Chicken & Marinade

1 large Chicken Breast, cut into thin strips
1 tsp Red Chilly Paste
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1/4 tsp Green Chilly Paste
2 tbsp Cornflour
1 tbsp Beaten Egg (or egg white)
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

For the Stir-Fry

1/2 of each Red, Yellow, Green Bell Pepper, julienned
1/2 Onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp chopped Garlic
1/2 tsp chopped Ginger
1 whole Red Chilly, cut into pieces
10-12 roasted or golden fried Cashew Nuts
1/2 tsp Red Chilly Sauce
1/2 tsp Red Chilly Paste
1/2 tsp Tomato Sauce
1/3 tsp Green Chilly Paste
1/3 tsp Pepper Powder
1/3 tsp Madras Curry Powder
1 tbsp Cornflour Slurry (1 tbsp cornflour + 2 tbsp water)
2 tbsp Cooking Oil
Salt to taste
Seasoning Powder (optional)
Chopped green Spring Onions, for garnish

Instructions

Marinate the Chicken: Slice the chicken breast into thin, half-inch wide strips. In a bowl, combine chicken strips with red chilly paste, ginger garlic paste, green chilly paste, cornflour, beaten egg, and salt. Mix well to coat evenly. Cover and marinate for 5-6 minutes.
Prepare Vegetables: While the chicken marinates, cut the bell peppers and onion. Finely chop the ginger and garlic. Prepare the cornflour slurry by mixing 1 tbsp cornflour with 2 tbsp water.
Fry the Chicken: Heat oil in a kadai over medium heat. Lower the flame and carefully add the marinated chicken strips one by one. Fry until crisp and golden brown on all sides. Remove and drain on an absorbent paper.
Stir-Fry Aromatics: Heat 2 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers, onion, and pieces of whole red chilly. Stir-fry for a few seconds.
Build the Sauce: Add the chopped ginger, garlic, green chilly paste, and cashew nuts. Stir-fry for one minute until fragrant. Add red chilly sauce, red chilly paste, tomato sauce, pepper powder, Madras curry powder, and salt. Mix well.
Combine and Thicken: Add the crispy fried chicken strips to the pan. Toss everything to coat the chicken in the sauce. Pour in the cornflour slurry and stir until the sauce thickens slightly.
Garnish and Serve: Garnish with chopped green spring onions. Serve hot immediately.

Nutritional Information

(Approximate values per serving)

Calories	640 kcal
Protein	40 g
Fat	34 g
Carbohydrate	46 g

Tips for the Best Dragon Chicken

Use chicken breast cut into thin strips for the best texture.
The combination of green chilly paste and Madras curry powder is key for the authentic flavor.
Do not use all-purpose flour (maida); stick to cornflour for a crispy coating.
Fry the chicken strips on medium-low heat to ensure they cook through without burning.
Avoid overcooking the vegetables to keep them crisp.
For an egg-free version, use a small amount of water with cornflour to make the coating paste.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can Dragon Chicken be used in a sizzler? Yes, it's often served as "Dragon Fire Chicken" on a hot sizzler plate with noodles or fried rice.

2. What to do with leftover Dragon Chicken? It's best eaten fresh as it can become soggy. It's not recommended to reheat. You can, however, use leftovers to create a gravy version.

3. What is the taste of Dragon Chicken? It's a balance of crispy chicken with a spicy, sweet, and hot flavor profile, enhanced by the aroma of garlic, ginger, and Madras curry powder.

4. Can Dragon Chicken be made ahead? You can fry the chicken ahead of time and prepare the sauce just before serving. Combine and toss when you're ready to eat to maintain crispiness.

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Dragon Chicken

Restaurant style Dragon Chicken