Kung pao chicken

This type of stir-fried dish is consist of chicken, peanuts, vegetables, and chili peppers is originated in Sichuan Province in China. This dish is named after Ding Baozhen who is a Qing Dynasty Official and the Governor of the Sichuan Province. When he was an official, he has the title of Gongbao which literally means Palace Guardian and the name "Kung Pao" is derived from this title. According to Wikipedia, the Westernized versions of this dish usually called "Kung Pao chicken" or "Kung Po", commonly consist of diced marinated chicken stir-fried with orange or orange juice, ginger, garlic, chicken broth, sugar, cooking oil, corn starch, and salt and pepper to taste. The dish is often garnished with whole roasted peanuts. Other versions of Kung Pao substitute beef, pork or seafood for chicken.

Kung Pao chicken is a very popular staple of North America schools and many recommend using it as a measure of the skills of a chef. It is recommended to serve it with rice to really taste the Kung Pao Chicken. Whereas the original Chinese version of the dish includes Sichuan peppercorns as an integral ingredient, the American version does not. From 1968 until 2005, it was illegal to import Sichuan peppercorns into the United States. They were viewed as potential carriers of citrus canker, a tree disease that can potentially harm citrus crops. The ban has now been lifted in light of new processing methods, however, the 37-year ban resulted in a distinct American version of the recipe that does not incorporate Sichuan peppercorns.

The ingredients:

250g/9oz skinless chicken
breast fillets
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 egg white
1 teaspoon cornflour
1 green pepper, seeded
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 spring onion, cut into short sections
a few small slices of fresh root ginger
5 dried red chillies, soaked, seeded
and shredded
2 tablespoons yellow bean sauce
1 teaspoon rice wine
100g/4oz roasted cashew nuts
a few drops of sesame oil

The Procedure:

Cut the chicken into small cubes about the size of sugar lumps. Put the
chicken in a small bowl, and mix with the salt and egg white. Mix a few
drops of water with the cornflour to form a paste, and add to the bowl.

Cut the green pepper into cubes, about the same size as the chicken
pieces.

Heat the oil in a wok, add the chicken, spring onion and ginger, and
stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the chillies with the yellow bean sauce and
wine. Blend well and stir-fry for another minute. Finally, stir in the roasted
cashew nuts and sesame oil.

Serve hot with boiled rice.