This healthy Mongolian chicken is based on the classic Chinese takeout favourite but is free of gluten, grains, MSG and refined sugar. Served over zucchini noodles, it makes for a tasty, nutritious meal.
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 1/3 cup Tamari GF soy sauce or coconut aminos (about 7 tbsp)
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 prunes pitted, chopped finely
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup water
For the stir-fry
- 4 garlic cloves grated or finely diced, crushed
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger thumb-size knob
- 1/2 long red chilli sliced finely (seeds removed)
- 3 spring onions/scallions cut into 1-2” long pieces (save the greenest ends for garnish)
- 1 carrot cut into thirds and then sliced into thin strips
- 1 celery stalk sliced into thin strips
For the chicken
- 500 g chicken breast 1 lb., sliced into thin strips
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour starch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper white pepper is ideal
- Oil for cooking macadamia or coconut are best
- 1 zucchini per person for spiralized zoodles
Instructions
- Dice up all the veggies and aromatics for the stir fry and set aside.
- Prepare the sauce. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well together. If you have a small blender, whiz it up a couple of times or use a spoon or a fork to mash the prunes slightly to incorporate into the sauce. Set aside.
- Prepare the chicken. Cut the chicken into small strips and arrange on a plate. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and tapioca flour. Using your hands, mix it well making sure as much of the meat is coated in the starch as possible.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of cooking oil in a wok or a large frying pan. Once hot, add the chicken and use a stiff spatula the meat apart. Cook over high heat for about 5-6 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds to a minute. Transfer the pre-cooked chicken to a plate and return the wok on the stove.
- Finish the stir fry. Keeping the heat on high, add the vegetables, garlic, ginger and chill and another tablespoon of cooking oil. Stir fry for 30-45 seconds (keep stirring!) and then add about 1/3 cup of water. It will start to bubble and will soften the sticky bits on the bottom of the pan. Use the spatula to scrape it off and incorporate into the sauce. Add the chicken back in, stir through and pour in the pre-made sauce, which will mix through with any liquid in the pan.
- Stir-fry the lot together for another minute or two over high heat allowing the sauce to thicken slightly and the chicken to finish cooking. Remove from heat and serve with spiralled zucchini noodles.
- 5. To prepare the zoodles, I simply stirred the spiralized zucchini in a hot pan with a little oil until just warmed through. No need to cook through this vegetable or the noodles will turn into a soggy mess. Serve right away.
Notes
If you can't find Chinese five spice powder, replace it with a little cinnamon powder, coriander seed powder and star anise all ground up together.
Nutrition
Calories: 332kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 1910mg | Potassium: 1206mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 3129IU | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2mg
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