I love this recipe - actually I love all recipes that are super-simple to make but feel somehow really special.
This is definitely good enough to have when entertaining friends - and also easy and quick enough for an everyday midweek supper.
I usually try to avoid using specialist ingredients in the recipes I share, but I don't have a substitute for yellow bean paste I'm afraid. It'll be available in Asian supermarkets or I'm sure will be online too.
Do try to get hold of some - it's got a lovely savouriness that just makes the dish delightful.
OK, so for dinner for two, you'll need:
2 teaspoons dry sherry (optional but good)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
a small chunk of fresh ginger, grated (about 1-2 teaspoons)
1/2 - 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes (to your taste!)
1-2 skinless chicken breasts, depending on their size and your greed/hunger, cut into small pieces so it cooks quickly - or firm tofu. I tried tofu recently when my vegetarian niece came to stay and it was really good.
Cooking oil spray
2 peppers, sliced into strips - either red or yellow (not green which is too bitter) or a combination would be prettiest - I only had red when I made it this time.
2 tablespoons yellow bean sauce (decant the rest of the tin into an airtight tub and keep in the fridge for a day or two)
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1/3 of a Knorr chicken stock cube
2 teaspoons cornflour mixed into 2 tablespoons cold water, stirred until smooth
about a tablespoon of flaked almonds or sesame seeds - toasted quickly in a hot dry pan - to serve
Put all the marinade ingredients - italicised in the list about - into a bowl with the chicken. Mix and leave to marinate for 15-30 minutes.
Then put a frying pan on to a medium heat, spraying with the spray oil (I use about 20 sprays) and add the chicken - cook for 3-4 minutes stirring all the time so it doesn't stick, and add a little splash of water if needed.
Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside, and add the peppers to the pan and stir fry for a couple of minutes over a medium-high heat, again stirring all the time so they don't stick and add the tiniest splash of water if needed.
Add the chicken back to the pan, reduce heat to medium, and add the yellow bean sauce (I've used two varieties now and both good, but it's great having found the big bottle of paste as I can keep it in the fridge for longer) - cook for a minute or so, stirring every now and then.
Next add the soy sauce, crumble in the piece of stock cube, and add the cornflour and water mixture - stir in, simmer for another minute or so until the sauce has thickened a little.
Serve with rice and sprinkle with the toasted almonds or sesame seeds.
cHICKEN STIR FRY WITH YELLOW BEAN SAUCE AND TOASTED SESAME SEEDS
TOFU STIR FRY WITH YELLOW BEAN PASTE AND TOASTED ALMONDS + SESAME SEEDS
I really love this and hope you do too!
