Chicken Sweet n Sour

Yum, Yum, Yum. This recipe has all the flavour and none of the stodge, artificial colours and calories of this take away classic.

There are two alternatives with this recipes - the extremely virtuous version where poached chicken is used. Or the slightly more delectable - ever so slightly - bolder version where the chicken is quickly fried in a light, crisp tempura style batter.

Ingredients

Serves 2

2 chicken fillets / equivalent leftover roast chicken

1/2 green, red and yellow pepper

4 spring onions

4 cloves garlic

1 red chili

1/2 tin pineapples

1/4 butternut squash / 1 carrot

Handful mange tout

2 tsp corn flour

4 dsp tamari/soy sauce

juice from tinned pineapple

2 tsp tomato ketchup / puree

3 dsp cornflour

100ml cold water

1/2 chicken stock cube

1tbsp rapeseed/olive oil

120g tilda wholegrain rice

Method

1. Boil a pot of water and cook the wholegrain rice for 35 - 45mins.
2. Prepare all the vegetables. Peel and chop the butternut squash into small cubes. De seed and dice the peppers into large chunks. De seed and thinly slice the red chili. Peel and dice the garlic. Slice the spring onions.
3. If not using leftover chicken poach and cut the chicken into large chunks. Alternatively heat 1 tbsp olive/rapeseed oil and fry gently until cooked. Remove from the pan.
4. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in the wok. Fry the chili, garlic and spring onion for 30seconds. Add the butternut squash. Pour in a couple of tbsp of water, place a lid on top and allow to steam for 3-4 mins.

1. Heat 500ml of vegetable oil in a small saucepan. Mix together the cornflour and water.
2. Add the peppers to the pan and allow to cook for another 2 mins.
3. Then add in the pineapple chunks. Stir the corn flour into the pineapple juice. Add this along with the tomato puree and tamari (soy sauce).Crumble in the stock cube. Gradually add 100mls cold water. Allow to simmer for 5 mins while the chicken cooks.
4. Dip the chicken chunks in the batter mix and place in the hot oil. Toss in the oil after about 1 minute. Cook for about 3/4 mins in total. Remove, drain really well on kitchen paper and season with a pinch of salt.
5. To serve, spoon some rice on the plate, then the sweet n sour and top with the crispy chicken.