1Get the rice on. Use 300g of washed basmati rice, 600ml of cold water and a bit of sea salt flakes to taste. Stir to break up any clumps and bring to a boil. Place on a lid, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 14 minutes undisturbed.
2Prep the sweet and sour chicken: slice three bell peppers in half, pick out the seeds and dice into large chunks. Place in a bowl.
3Slice one brown or yellow onion, peel off the skin, and thinly slice it. Add it to the bowl with the bell peppers.
4Add four cloves of garlic and 15g of ginger, both microplaned into a paste, to the bowl and mix well with your hands.
5Slice the chicken breast (1.4kg) into strips and then dice into large even-sized pieces. This will ensure they cook at the same time.
6For the sweet and sour sauce, add 125ml of light soy sauce, 80ml of store-bought pineapple juice (don't use fresh), 80g of honey, 40ml of Worcestershire sauce, 40ml of apple cider vinegar, 40g of tomato sauce and 12g of corn flour to a mixing bowl. Whisk well to combine.
7After 14 minutes, turn off the heat for the rice, leave the lid on for a final 4 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork or spatula.
8Place a large pan or pot over high heat. Add 30ml of grapeseed oil or any neutral-flavored oil of your choice.
9Add the onions and bell peppers to the pan. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes to taste and saute for about 4 minutes, moving it around regularly until a nice color is achieved. Remove from stovetop and transfer to a plate.
10Add another 20ml of oil to the same pan and add in the chicken once it's hot. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and spread out to avoid layering.
11Sear the chicken for 3 minutes, then give it a good mix and continue cooking for another 3 minutes.
12Add the garlic and ginger paste and mix for 45 seconds. Make sure it’s not clumped up to get the infusion into the chicken.
13Add the sauteed vegetables, mix again for 30-40 seconds until the flavors are mixed well.
14Add the sweet and sour sauce (give it a whisk beforehand) to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes to thicken the sauce and coat everything well.
15Add sesame seeds (about a tablespoon), give it a quick mix and remove from stovetop.
16Portion everything by 5 and garnish with spring onion or scallion, chili, or more sesame seeds.
Ingredients
300 g Basmati Rice, Washed
600 ml Cold Water
1 pinch Salt
125 ml Light Soy Sauce
80 ml Pineapple Juice
80 g Honey
40 ml Worcestershire Sauce
40 ml Apple Cider Vinegar
40 g Tomato Ketchup
12 g Corn Flour or Corn Starch
50 ml Grapeseed Oil
1400 g Chicken Breast or Thigh, Diced
3 Bell Peppers, Large Diced
1 Brown (Yellow) Onion, Sliced
4 Garlic Cloves, Minced
15 g Ginger, Peeled & Minced
1 pinch Seasoning
1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds
1 handful Spring Onion or Scallion
Equipment
knifesievepot with lidbowlmicroplanelarge pan or potwooden spatulawhiskfork or spatula5 meal prep containersvacuum pump