Chicken with Green Pepper in Black Bean Sauce

Chicken with Green Pepper in Black Bean Sauce

The use of Black Bean sauce in Chinese cooking is a long alive tradition. This gives a special touch of flavour and a depth to the dish. I have always loved almost any and every Chinese cooking. But this is a special dish to me, because I learnt it from a very old Chinese lady in Kolkata's China Town. For those who don't know, Kolkata has wold's oldest China town outside China and it is the only city which has a Chinese Daily. I loved to see this lady, who used to run a small food joint at her dining cum living room, sitting six to eight people , used to cook almost in front of her guests. The way she moved her chopsticks was an awesome experience for me ! This and many other traditional Chinese dish were taught by her, specially when I started to stand by her and admire. This dish is a tribute to Madame Lou Chin.

Preparation Time :  20 minutes
Cooking Time      :  15 minutes
Difficulty              :  Very Easy
Serves                  :  4

Ingredients :

• 2 tablespoons Toasted Sesame Oil (you can also use normal sesame oil)
• 4 cloves Garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• 6 tablespoons Black Bean Sauce (I use bottled ones, as I never took the pain of fermenting beans at home like Madame Chin)
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 400 grams skinless, boneless Chicken Breast Halves - cut into cubes
• 1 cube Chicken Bouillon dissolved in 1/2 cup Boiling Water
• 1 large Onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 bunch Green Onions, chopped
• 2 Green Bell Pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dark Soy Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 4 teaspoons Corn Starch dissolved in 3 tablespoons Water
• 4 tablespoons chopped Fresh Cilantro/Coriander leaves

 

Method :

  1) Heat a wok over a medium heat until hot, add the toasted sesame oil and heat for about 30 seconds.

 

  2) Stir in garlic and black bean sauce, and season with salt.

 

  3) Add chicken to the wok; cook, stirring frequently, until chicken is cooked through.

 

  4) Pour in dissolved chicken bouillon, cover, and cook for about 5 - 6 minutes.

 

  5) Stir in onion, green onions, and bell pepper, and season with soy sauce and black pepper.

 

  6) Cover, and cook for another 8 minutes.

 

  7) Stir in cornstarch mixture, and stir until sauce thickens.

 

  8) Stir in cilantro/coriander leaves, and serve hot with plain steaming white rice or even fried rice of your choice.