A stir-fry with a bit of heat. Dried red chilies, tender chicken, crunchy peanuts and crisp water chestnuts are tossed together in a flavorful sauce.
Dice the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. Place into a bowl and add the soy sauce, rice vinegar and cornstarch. Stir to combine, making sure the cornstarch dissolves completely. Add the oil and stir again to evenly coat. Let marinate for 20 minutes.
To make the sauce, stir all of the ingredients together, making sure the cornstarch dissolves completely. Set aside.
To prepare your mise en place, snip the bottom of the dried chilies in half. Mince the garlic and ginger. Thinly slice the green onions.
Note: If you can, use fresh water chestnuts. They are superior in flavor and texture. To prepare the water chestnuts, simply cut off the top and bottom and peel the exterior with a vegetable peeler. Place into cold water to prevent them from oxidizing. Drain and dice just before using.
Roughly chop the nuts and set aside.
Drain the excess marinade from the chicken. To stir-fry the dish, line the ingredients up in the proper cooking order. Heat a wok over high heat. Once hot, cook the stir-fry according to the basic steps in the lesson. Feel free to add a touch more oil during the stir-frying process, if needed.
Stir-fry the chicken — transfer to a plate. Add the dried chilies — followed by the ginger, garlic and water chestnuts. Return the chicken and juices to the wok. Add the sauce. Stir-fry until just cooked through. Add the green onions and peanuts. Toss to combine and serve immediately.