Korean fried chicken with a sweet and spicy glaze has been a craze lately. Recently, I came across Maangchi’s recipe on Kkanpunggi (깐풍기), which is a stir-fried garlic chicken with vegetables, coated with the sweet, sour and spicy sauce. The moment I saw the recipe, I knew that I had to try out this Korean cuisine.
I prepared the chilli oil by infusing the cooking oil with garlic and red chilli flakes bought from India. Stir-fried the crunchy boneless chicken pieces (fried the once before) with the spicy garlic-infused oil to produce a delicious and fragrant aroma that nobody could possibly resist. Then, I modified some of the ingredients used and voila, it turned out to be just as good as I expected it to be.
Korean Spicy Garlic Fried Chicken (Kkanpunggi) Recipe
Serves: 2-3 pax / Prep Time: 15 mins / Cook Time: 25 mins / Level of Difficulty: Medium
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound chicken breast (about 310 grams), cut into small bite-size pieces
- 2 fresh red chillies (deseeded, sliced thinly)
- 1 medium size onion (chopped)
- 5-6 dried red chillies
- 1 stalk fresh scallions (thinly sliced)
- 1/2 cup cooking oil, for deep-frying
- 1 tsp. sesame oil
Marinade
- 1 tbsp. soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp. ginger (finely minced)
- 1 egg white
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 6 tbsp. corn starch
Spicy Garlic Infused Oil
- 5 cloves garlic (cut into halves)
- 1 tbsp. red chilli flakes
- 1/4 cup canola oil
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- 2 tbsp. soy sauce
- 2 tbsp. water
- 2 tbsp. white sugar
- 1 tbsp. black vinegar
- 1 tsp. corn starch
Instructions
1. Marinate the chicken and set it aside for approximately 30 minutes. Subsequently, add in the egg white and corn starch to the meat. Mix well with hand.
2. Mix the sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Heat up the 1/4 cup of canola oil over high heat in a non-stick skillet. Once the oil is heated, lower the heat to medium and add in the garlic.
4. Stir the garlic for a couple of minutes until it is golden brown. Take the garlic out and set it aside.
5. Using the same oil, add in the red chilli flakes and stir it over low heat for a few minutes. Strain the oil in a bowl, leaving some flakes in it in order to give an extra kick of spiciness to the dish later on.
6. Heat up 1/2 cup of cooking oil in a skillet over high heat. Once the oil reaches a temperature of 160-190°C, turn the heat down to medium high and fry the chicken in the skillet. When the meat turns crunchy and golden brown, turn the chicken pieces over. Cook the chicken pieces until they are cooked evenly.
7. Transfer the meat out and set it aside.
8. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add in the spicy garlic-infused oil.
9. Once the oil heats up, add in the onion, scallions, red chillies and dried red chillies. Stir them over medium heat until fragrant, for about 2-3 minutes.
10. Add in the sauce and stir continuously for approximately 15-20 seconds.
11. At the same time, reheat the oil in the skillet and fry the chicken once more until it is very crunchy and fragrant. Turn off the heat and transfer the chicken pieces into the sauce.
12. Add in the garlic and 1 tsp. of sesame oil. Stir the chicken pieces thoroughly and ensure the sauce coats them well.
13. Serve immediately with hot steamed rice.
NOTES:
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