You know when you’re having one of those days.

Your grumpy pants are snugly on.

You find it hard to smile, even at the nicest people.
(Don’t get me started on the others.)

You’re almost tempted to eat instant noodles (again), while watching the gazillionth episode of Supernatural, and you almost do.

But not today.

I was determined to lift my spirits- the only way I knew how.

On my way home from work, all I did was pick up some chicken and spring onions.

Say hello to General Tso and his famous chicken 🙂

Delicious, dark, and dreamy, this dish does not disappoint.

The chicken is tender, with a slightly crisp coating.

The sauce is just gorgeously rich and aromatic.

It goes perfectly well with plain rice, but egg rice is even better.

It made me happy.

And if I see you tomorrow, I’ll smile 🙂

General Tso’s chicken

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Serves: 4

Eat this with: Egg fried rice

Ingredients:

400 g chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

1tbsp dark soy sauce, plus 2tbsp more

1 egg

3-4 tbsp cornstarch, plus 1-2tsp more

1 cup of vegetable oil, for frying

1tbsp white vinegar

2tbsp white wine

3 tbsp water

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp brown sugar

a few spring onions, cleaned and chopped

3-4 dried red chillies, broken or split

2-3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

Method:

1. Mix 1tbsp soy sauce, the egg, and 3-4 tbsp cornstarch in a bowl. Mix this well, and then add the chicken pieces in, and mix so that the pieces are well coated. Set aside for 10 minutes.
2. In another bowl, mix together 2 tbsp soy sauce, vinegar, white wine, ginger paste, and 1-2tsp cornstarch. Mix well, add the brown sugar and stir well to dissolve the sugar slightly. Set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a non stick wok or pan, and fry off the chicken in small batches. Fry for about 4-5 minutes, until dark brown and crispy. Place them on absorbent tissues once they’re fried so the excess oiled is absorbed.
4. Let the pan cool slightly, remove the oil (set aside), and wipe it clean. Put 3 tbsp oil back in the pan and add the spring onions (reserve a few for the end), dried red chillies, and garlic. Fry on medium heat, for about a minute and then return the chicken pieces to the pan. Stir well, and then add the sauce. Keep stirring until the sauce thickens a bit, and the chicken is beautifully coloured. Cook on low heat for 4-5 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat, and top with some reserved spring onion bits. Eat warm with egg rice.