Sweet Chilli Chicken & Coconut Noodles

It’s Friday night, you’ve just finished a soul destroying week at work and the last thing you want to do is cook. But instead of picking up the phone and calling a cheeky Chinese that you know you’ll regret in the morning, make your own! I promise you, this dish is so quick and easy it will be on your plate and in your mouth before you could even dial up the local takeaway! Sweet chilli chicken - as spicy or sweet as you like - with some creamy coconut noodles. Yummy! It’s a take on the classic Chinese sweet chilli chicken recipe, but rather than being sweet, sticky and spicy, I’ve given it an Indian twist by cooking the chicken through a curry-like sauce. Chinese take-out food can be quite greasy, noodles deep-fried and the meat covered in batter, so this version is a lot healthier and won’t add inches to your waistline! Make it more authentic by using chopsticks (if you know how!) and if you want to go all out, serve in foil containers and with a big bag of prawn crackers.

I’ve tried this recipe a few times and every time it turns out totally different! The recipe I’ve given you is really just the basic idea upon which you can twist and turn to your own taste. I like my chicken sweeter and so I add more sugar and less chilli powder. BE WARNED - depending on which type of chilli powder you use can be the difference between a gentle tickle of your taste buds or an eye-watering, red-faced spice! Try to use mild chilli powder if you can, it’s available in pretty much all supermarkets and costs very little. The cornflour is just to give the chicken a nice crispy coating, but if you’d rather have the meat in the sauce then you can leave this out. I think it’s a lot nicer cooking the chicken separate as it give another dimension to the different textures of the dish, and it also looks really impressive when you plate it up. The coconut noodles can either be made as directed with a sachet of coconut cream (I use Pataks as I find it gives the best texture, I like mine not too creamy with a bit of a grainy feel), or with a can of coconut milk (reduced fat if you‘re feeling healthy!). Just add the milk in once the noodles are cooked and allow it to thicken while cooking on a low heat.
If you’re counting the calories, swap the chicken for turkey breasts, but be careful not to burn as this may not take as long to cook. The vegetables I’ve added are typically found in Chinese dishes, but you can add more to bulk the dish out if you would rather have a meat free version. Just follow my basic ingredients and cook yourself up a taste sensation!



Recipe.


2x skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size chunks
- 20g cornflour (if cooking chicken separate)
- 20g caster sugar
- 20g ground ginger
- 20g chilli powder
Cooking oil

1 red pepper sliced
1 400g can chopped tomatoes
½ can reduced fat coconut milk
50g tikka paste
2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce

200g dried fine noodles
1 creamed coconut sachet

Method:

1. Mix together the spices for the chicken and coat each piece with the mixture.
2. Fry in a large wok with oil until cooked through. Cover and set aside.
3. Toss the vegetables into the wok and add the tikka paste. Stir through and allow to cook           for 3-5 minutes.
4. Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the creamed coconut sachet. DON’T open the sachet, leave it be until later!
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and coconut milk to the vegetables, stir through, pop the lid on and allow to simmer.
6. Cook the noodles (in the same pot as your coconut) as according to the packet.
7. Drain the noodles and NOW you can open the coconut cream. Mix it through the noodles - you may need to add a little bit of water if the coconut hasn’t fully melted.
8. Place the noodles in your dish, ladle over your sauce and pop the chicken on the top.