Drums of Heaven - Spicy and Saucy!
Drums of Heaven are chicken lollipops tossed in a sweet, spicy sauce. This Indian Chinese appetizer is everyones favourite for a reason!
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- 500 grams chicken lollipop
- 2 tablespoons Soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Red chilli sauce
- 1 tablespoons Vinegar
- 1 tablespoons Tomato ketchup
- 1 tablespoons Red chilli powder
- 1 tablespoons Garlic paste
- 1/4 tablespoons Salt
- 1/4 cup Cornflour
- 2 tablespoons All purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons Rice flour
- 1 Egg
- 1 tablespoons Ginger paste
- Oil for frying
For the Drums of Heaven:
- 12-14 Chicken Lollipops Fried
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 1 tablespoon Ginger finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Garlic finely chopped
- 1/4 cup Onions finely chopped
- 2 Green Chillies finely chopped
- 1/4 cup Schezwan Sauce or Sriracha
- 1 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Tomato Ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Cornstarch / Cornflour mixed in 4 tablespoons water to make a slurry
- 2 tablespoons Coriander finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons white sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons Spring Onions finely chopped (green part only)
Instructions
For the Chicken Lollipops:
- Whisk together soy sauce, red chilli sauce, vinegar, tomato ketchup, red chilli powder, garlic paste, salt in a bowl and toss the chicken lollipops in it. Marinade for half an hour.
- In the same bowl, add cornflour, all purpose flour, rice flour, egg and ginger paste and mix well to create a thick batter and coat the lollipops in it.
- Heat about two inches oil in a wok or kadhai to 350F/ 176C. Add the battered lollipops one by one to the oil in such a way that the meat is at the bottom and the bone is on top (watch the video to see how I do it). Fry these on medium high heat till golden brown – approx 3-4 minutes.
- Take these out on a tissue paper to blot out any excess oil and set aside.
For the Drums of Heaven:
- In a wok or kadhai, heat oil and add ginger and garlic. Stir fry on high heat for a minute and add chopped onions. Keep stir frying till the onions soften and add green chillies. After a few seconds, add schezwan sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup and sugar. Cook the sauce for 2 minutes, stir frying as it cooks.
- Add the cornflour slurry and keep stir frying till it thickens (approx a minute or so). Add the chicken lollipop and coriander and toss well. Top it with sesame seeds, chopped spring onions and serve.
Video
Notes
- Cutting chicken lollipop: Chicken lollipops are prepared using the middle segment of the chicken wing. You can watch this video to learn how to do this at home or just buy them pre-prepared from the store.
- Marinade: marinade for at least 30 minutes. For the best results, marinate the chicken in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 10 minutes prior to frying.
- Oil temperature: Ensure the oil is at 350F/ 176C for frying the chicken. This temperature is ideal for perfectly cooked crispy chicken.
- Make these in advance: You can also make these ahead by frying them once and storing them for a couple of hours. When ready to serve, heat the oil to about 400F/204C and flash fry the lollipops for the second time for just a minute. This will give it a super crispy coating and you'll have hot chicken lollipops ready to go. Only do the Drums of Heaven stir fry when you're ready to serve.
- Storing: Drums of Heaven can't be stored for later as the chicken becomes soggy and the cornflour makes the sauce really thick. I recommend serving them immediately
Nutrition
Calories: 784kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 311mg | Sodium: 1478mg | Potassium: 740mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 799IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 3mg