Karaage is a Japanese word and means batterless deep fried food. Chicken cooked this way is called Karaage chicken. This style chicken is relished as an appetizer with drinks, makes a good dish for lunch and is served as a side dish at informal dinner parties.
About the dish
The traditional style Karaage chicken is coated with very less flour, garlic, ginger, soy sauce is used as seasoning,and of course it is deep-fried. The variations could be as per your imagination and taste. Karaage is one of the most popular and commonly available dishes in Japan, now days you get it in convenience stores as well. Making the dish at home is an easy task and the ingredients that you require are absolutely not difficult to find.
The ingredients
The ingredients suggested here are for serving 3-4 people. The total time required to make this dish is just 30 minutes. Starting with the foremost ingredient (obviously) you need a pound of chicken thigh, oil sufficient enough for deep frying, ¼ cup flour, lemon (cut as wedges), sea salt and pepper as per taste.
Sesame oil 1 teaspoon, an inch long ginger, 8 cloves of garlic, sugar 1 teaspoon, a tablespoon of dry sherry, soy sauce 1 tablespoon and ¼ cup of potato starch. If potato starch is unavailable, you can also use cornstarch.
Preparation
Wash the chicken thigh thoroughly and pat dry it. Dice the thigh into 2-inch piecesand sprinkle pepper and salt over it. Place the chicken in a large bowl and turn it with your fingers so that all the salt and pepper is mixed thoroughly.
Shred and mix the ginger, sesame oil, sugar, dry sherry and soy sauce with the chicken.Using a garlic press, squeeze thegarlic cloves in the bowl. Cover the bowl and keep it under refrigeration for an hour.
Whisk potato/corn starch with flour in a small bowl. Heat the oil for frying and bring the temperature between 320-338°F. Coat the chicken pieces with the starch mixture and drop a few pieces in the hot oil. Fry a few pieces in the oil, overcrowding must be avoided, or they would absorb more oil.
Fry until they are golden, remove them from the oil and place them over a wire rack and let the excess water drain. Transfer the chicken in a plate and serve hot. If you want the dish to be slightly crispier, refry them at 356°F, until they are crispy and golden in color. You can enjoy the dish with a sauce of your choice.
Enjoy this tasty, quick snack with your friends and family. This mouth-watering dish, full of aroma and flavor is sure to be a hit in a party.
