Golden pieces of chicken, stir-fried over high heat with peppers, onions and green chillies, then coated in a spicy soy-based sauce: chicken chilli, or chilli chicken, is one of the great classics of Indo-Chinese cuisine and is hugely popular across India.
In this article, discover where it comes from, its ingredients, the steps to prepare it, its two main versions and a few ideas for serving it.
On this page: Origin · Ingredients · The steps · Dry or gravy · Serving it · 3-question quiz
An Indo-Chinese dish
Chicken chilli was born from the meeting of Chinese techniques, such as wok stir-frying, and the Indian taste for spicy food. This so-called Indo-Chinese cuisine is especially associated with the long-established Chinese community of Kolkata (Calcutta), before it spread across the whole country.
It has given rise to other classics, such as chilli paneer, its vegetarian version with paneer cheese, as well as Indian-style fried rice and noodles.
The ingredients
| Ingredient | Role |
|---|---|
| Chicken pieces | Coated in a light batter, then fried or seared until golden |
| Pepper, onion | Stir-fried quickly so they stay crunchy |
| Green chilli, garlic, ginger | Bring heat and fragrance |
| Soy sauce, vinegar, chilli sauce | Make the sauce: salty, tangy and spicy |
| Spring onion | Added at the end for freshness |
The preparation steps
Without exact quantities, here are the main steps:
- Coat the chicken in a light batter, often made with cornflour, egg and spices.
- Fry or sear it until golden and crisp, then set aside.
- Stir-fry over high heat the garlic, ginger and chillies, then the onion and pepper.
- Add the sauces, return the chicken and toss quickly to coat.
- Sprinkle with spring onion and serve straight away.
Dry or gravy: two versions
- The « dry » version: almost dry, the sauce just coats the chicken; it is often served as a starter.
- The « gravy » version: with more sauce, thickened with cornflour; it goes well with fried rice or noodles.
How to serve it
- As a starter to share, in its dry version.
- As a main course, with fried rice or basmati rice for the gravy version.
- The heat depends on the amount of chilli: it can range from mild to very spicy.
- Discover another spice of Indian cooking in our article on cumin.
Test your knowledge
Three questions to recap the essentials. Your answers are not saved.
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