Mala chicken (Chongqing Laziji, 辣子鸡)
User Reviews
5.0
78 reviews
Excellent
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Prep Time
25 mins
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Cook Time
25 mins
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Total Time
40 mins
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Servings
2 servings
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Chinese
Mala chicken (Chongqing Laziji, 辣子鸡)
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Crispy, tasty chicken pieces stir-fried with generous amount of dried chillies and Sichuan pepper, Mala chicken is a classic delicacy not to miss.
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Ingredients
Group 1
- 400 g / 14oz chicken thigh deboned with skin on (see note 1)
- 6 lices ginger
- 1 stalk spring onion cut in sections
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch ground white pepper
Group 2
- 500 ml / 2 cups cooking oil see note 2
Group 3
- 30 g / 1oz dried chillies or to taste
- 1 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppercorn see note 3
- 8 lices ginger
- 4 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 1 pinch sugar
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 stalk spring onion finely chopped
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bitesize cubes. Mix with all Group 1 ingredients. Marinate for 20 minutes (or longer if you wish). Remove ginger and spring onion before deep frying.
- While waiting, prepare the dried chilli. Break each one into half then remove the seeds (see note 4).
- Heat up oil over a high heat. When the temperature reaches 160°C / 320°F, gently slide in chicken pieces. Fry for 3 minutes or so (when the edges of the chicken lightly brown).
- Remove the chicken from the oil. Continue heating up the oil. Put the chicken back in when the oil reaches 180°C / 356°F. Fry for 1 minute then take out.
- Leave about 1 tablespoon of oil in the wok. Fry ginger, garlic and Sichuan pepper over a medium low heat for 1 minute. Add dried chillies. Retain the heat level and fry until fragrant (do not burn).
- Stir in chicken pieces. Add soy sauce, sugar and rice wine. Cook a further 2 minutes. Sprinkle sesame seeds and spring onion. Give everything a quick stir then dish out.
Notes
- Classic mala chicken dish uses chicken pieces with bones in. Please feel free to choose your preferred cut.
- The amount of oil required for deep frying may vary depending on the size of your cookware. Adjust accordingly.
- I usually use green Sichuan pepper (麻椒) for this dish as they produce a more intense numbing effect than regular dark red Sichuan pepper.
- Removing the seeds from dried chillies can reduce their heat. This procedure is entirely optional if you like your dish super hot or your dried chilli is a mild variety.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
78 reviews
Excellent
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