Hellooo, how are you? Yep, its been almost a month since we met. First things first… we went to India for a small holiday. However, this gap between us wasn't planned. I was hoping to catch up with you in between, but it didn't work out. Anyways, now I'm back in Bahrain & the first thing I wanted to do was to just pop in here & say a quick hi to you. I'm sure you are in a joyous mood with all the festive celebrations. We also had a gala time back home, though it was a very hectic trip. I wanted to collect some recipes for you as well, but all I did was eat, eat & eat more! Haa… how I like it when somebody else has to bother about all the cooking nuances & my role is to just relish those wonderful dishes. Just thinking about it now, makes me hungry & miss all those home-cooked food :(
Ok, now let me ask you something…. Was chilli chicken the first thing that you used to order in a restaurant during your school/college days? During my school years, fried rice & chilli chicken was the most happening couple. So whenever we dined out, it used to be the standard menu. I remember my brother even getting angry at us, me & my cousin sisters, for ordering the same thing again & again, instead of trying out something new. Fast forward to present, my preferences have changed, but I still miss those deep dark red coloured chilli chicken that I used to have from Kerala hotels.
Btw, I've noticed something, most of the newly married girls, at least the ones I know, learn to cook fried rice & chilli chicken even before learning how to cook the basic everyday stuff. I was also included in that category ;) Were you also like that or are you planning to be like that? I've tried different versions of chilli chicken, but I wasn't completely happy with any particular recipe. I always compared it to the taste of chilli chicken during my childhood days & I felt something was missing. Finally I got this recipe from one of Jose's aunt. Its not exactly like what I used to have, but we both liked it very much.I think the ground green chilli gives a distinct flavour to this dish. So for the time being, I'm ending my search for chilli chicken recipe here.
Hope you too will like it.
Here is the recipe:

Above is the picture of Chilli Chicken made by Ramya, based on the above recipe. Thanks dear :)
Chilli Chicken
Ingredients
- 450 gms Chicken (cut into thin strips (I used boneless))
For marination:
- 1.5 tbsp Chopped Ginger & garlic (each)
- 3 Green chilli
- 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp Pepper powder
- 1 Egg white (beaten)
- 2 tbsp Cornflour
- 1.5 tbsp Soya sauce
- Salt (refer notes)
For sauce:
- 2 Medium Onion (chopped)
- 1 Small – medium Capsicum (chopped)
- 1 tsp Chopped Ginger & garlic ( each)
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 cup Water
- 1 tbsp Soya sauce
- 1 tbsp Tomato sauce
- Oil (I used Sunflower)
- Salt (refer notes)
Instructions
- Grind together ginger, garlic & green chilli, listed under marination, together to a fine paste by adding 1 tbsp water. Marinate the cleaned chicken strips with the ground paste & other items listed under marination. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, overnight refrigeration is the best.
- Heat oil in a pan & deep fry the chicken pieces till it becomes golden brown.
- Sauce Preparation:
- Heat some oil (you can use the same oil, which is used for frying chicken pieces) in a deep pan. Add chopped onion, capsicum & salt and cook till it becomes soft (onion doesn't have to change color).
- Add chopped ginger & garlic. Saute for 2-3 mins.
- Mix Kashmiri chilli powder in 1 cup water. Add this to the sauce mixture. Let it boil.
- Add soya & tomato sauces. Mix well.
- Add fried chicken pieces. Mix well. Cover & cook till the sauce is reduced & chicken pieces are coated well with the sauce. Serve hot with fried rice or noodles.
Everytime I feel like cooking, I come over here in search of recipes. Your recipes are simple & foolproof… keep posting
Found your site to be informative and interesting. Will try my hands over some of the recipes.
Thanks. Hope you will enjoy trying out the recipes.
Cheers
Maria
Hello Maria….Iam 14 years old and am a beginner only and I really like your site…I tried this recipe with the help of my mother and it was really yummy….Thank u so much…
Hi Meghna,
So happy to see your comment :) Really great to know that you tried this recipe and liked it too. Hope you get to try more recipes from here, with the help of your mom.
Thank you so much for leaving a comment here.
Cheers
Maria
Loved this recipe! I did not deep fry the chicken pieces (trying to be healthy), i just pan fried them along with the marinade. It tasted really good! Thank you Maria. I’ve made so many dishes from your blog… some of my other favourites are beef cutlet, beef korma, beef kallu shappu style, pepper chicken, chicken dry roast (easter special one), chicken stew and many more. I have received much praise for my cooking, and i just wanted to say, thank you so much for taking time and sharing your passion with me and many others. I’ve been following your blog for three years now and I am so grateful for someone like you! :)
Hi Lebanah,
Thank you so much for taking time to share your feedback here!
I’m thrilled to know that you’ve been following MM for a long time and have tried many recipes successfully :)
Best Wishes,
Maria
Hello Maria! What is the substitute for corn flour ? Can I use regular flour ??
Hi Vinitha,
I think you can use regular flour.
Maria ur each recipe is a fool proof one. When I want to make a new dish,that, I want to be sure will be a success ,without a second thought I come to ur site. Keep up the good work????????????
Thanks a ton Simy for your lovely comment :) It’s really great to know that you trust the recipes here so much.
Happy cooking!
Cheers
Maria
Oh my God!!! I never thought that I would be able to make such a delicious recipe by myself. Every time I had this dish from hotels I used to wonder, how do these people do wonders like these. But finally I was also able to do the magic!!!!!! A BIGGGGG THANKSS TO YOU. Looking forward to try more and more recipes from Marias Menu.
Hi Joyitha,
Your recipe brought a big smile on my face, thank you so much :)
I’m really happy to know that this recipe worked out well for you. Hope you get to try more recipes and like them too..
Happy cooking!
Cheers
Maria
Thanks! I do hope you get to try this sometime..
Cheers
Maria
Hi maria,I tried this recipe yesterday and it came out so well.First time my chilly chicken tasted soooo good!!!Thank you for all the lovely recipes you post.
Thanks a bunch Anju :) Really happy to know that this recipe came out well for you..
Cheers
Maria
hey madam.. please excuse me.. why u don’t using pepper & MSG.. also celery & spring onion.. it is the main ingredients…. consider ma request…
Hi Basil,
I guess there a number of ways in which you can make chilli chicken. I’ve given my version here. You can always customise it to suit your taste :)
It turned out great ! Thanks !
You are welcome Mithila :)
You are welcome Mithila :)
It turned out great ! Thanks !
Hey Maria.. I love your blog as from here starts all my experiments.I usually make chilly chicken at home,and I was reading yours. We don’t add chilly powder for chilly chicken ,Right? Or do we? , and for marinating purpose you don’t need ginger and garlic paste. Well chilly chicken is Chinese thing and making it in Kerala style is not a good idea. And one more thing is maida or all purpose flour has to be added for marination along with corn flour and sauces. Regards
Hi Chinju,
Thank you!
I’ve followed this recipe to make chilli chicken. You can always customise the recipe to suit your taste preferences.
Cheers
Maria
my mother tried out the fried rice and chilly chicken it was really taste
every one liked it
Thanks Joseph :) Please do say my big thank you to your mom as well…
Cheers
Maria
Tried the dish today! Maria, u are truely a confidence-booster! :) I have been trying to make many of my mom’s and m-i-l’s recepies style, nothing worked except the same old chiken curry! Today getting an applaud from my husband on this dish, made me sooo happy!!! Thanks a lot maria!!! waiting for more and more specialities! :D
Hi Jeeva,
Thanks a lot dear for your lovely comment. I’m really thrilled to know that you liked this recipe..
Cheers
Maria
Hiii Maria,I tried your chilly chicken recipe…the best chilly chicken .recipe i have ever made, Thank you so much for your wonderful..and so…easy recipe.
You are welcome dear Sudha :) I’m really happy that you liked this recipe. Thanks a lot for sharing your feedback here.
Cheers
Maria
Turned out very well. Closest to the authentic taste out of all the recipes I have tried so far. Thanks Maria.
You are welcome Many :) Nice to know that you liked this recipe. Thanks for the comment!
Cheers
Maria
Wow!!! i’ve tried out so many recipes for chilli chicken but i’ve never got a result like this!!Really great recipe. I will surely suggest this recipe to everyone who asks..:)
Hi Angela,
Thanks a bunch dear! Great to know that this recipe worked well for you. It’s so sweet of you to suggest this recipe to others too, thanks dear :)
Cheers
Maria
Hi Maria, how r u. i tried this chilli chicken receipe it turned out very good my hubby loved it so much. thank you very much for posting this receipe.
take care
swati
Hi Swati,
I’m doing good dear, what about you?
Nice to know that this recipe worked well for you, thanks a lot for the comment :)
Cheers
Maria
Hii Maria,I tried your chilly chicken recipe…..the best chilly chicken recipe i have ever made.. thank you so..much for the wonderful and so…easy recipe.
hey maria..
I tried this chilli chicken.. it has come out very well.. i added the gravy to it.. amazing recipe..
keep cooking..
Â
Thanks Sminu :) Glad you liked the recipe.
Cheers
Maria
chicken chilli, I really love it
Thanks!
Hi Maria, I am new to your blog. Very interesting.. reminds me of Julia Child:-) Â Thanks for this Chili Chicken recipe.. It came out great… except for the color. Â I didn’t have Kashmiri Chili Powder. I will try with that next time.. Also I have a request for you. I have been looking for a good “Chicken Tikka Masala” recipe.. I didn’t see it among your recipes. Â Do you have any good ones I could try? Â Thanks again and best of luck.
Thanks Manju! Glad that you liked this recipe. I havent yet posted a chicken tikka masala recipe, however have a look at the butter chicken recipe I’ve posted sometime ago. I believe there is some similarity.
Hope you find it interesting!
Cheers
Maria
awesome recipe Maria!!
Thank you Rosa!
Thanks Maria, my children greatly admires u r receipies.whenever I prepare a dish they will ask ,is it from marias menu, then they r eager 2 taste it,,
awww, that’s so sweet of your children, Deep! Please do say my big thank you to them :) Your comment has made my day, thanks again!
Cheers
Maria
its nice to get the recipes.do keep adding new things . mostly the homely kerala food which the younger generation doesnt know.
Hi Siny,
Thank you! I try to post at least once in a week. I post in the site whatever I cook and bake at home, which is mostly Kerala stuff :)
Cheers
Maria
Can i cook chilli chicken without soya sauce?
Hi Aathi,
I havnet tried cooking like that, so I’m not sure how it tastes like..
Cheers
Maria
i asked bcaz i didnt hav soya sauce dat day !! but it was really gud one ! i loved it & it worked out very well dat everyone appreciated me bcaz im was a starter in cooking :) Thanks maria aunty !!! i hav also tried many other recipies of urs earlier wid my mom also !!Â
great superb recipe.. tried it and came out so well. thank you so much
You are welcome Liz! Thanks a lot for trying this and also for sharing your feedback here.
Cheers
Maria
hi maria.thankyou for this recipe.it was superb.
You are welcome dear :)
hey maria…. am a first timer to ur blog … all your pics look awesomw.. i havent gone thru all ur recipes but ur pics are extremely imoressive ..
which camera do u use .. seems to do wonders to ur recipe :)
Welcome to MariasMenu! Thanks for your comment :)
I use Nikon D40x Camera. But for the past 1 year, I’m using a different lens from the original one. I’m using a Sigma 50mm lens.
Cheers
Maria
 Just tried it out and it was yum!! can i add you to my blog roll?? do check out my humble blog :)
Hi Nimmy,
Thank you :) Yes, you can add me to your blog roll and thanks for that. Best wishes for your blog too :)
Cheers
Maria
Hi Maria,
Can you give me the ingredient portions used for 750gms  of chicken?
Thank you:)
Regards,
Chinnu
Hi Chinnu,
You can increase the measurements a bit, not double exactly, a bit less than that. Hope it works :0
Cheers
Maria
Maria, This is the best chilli chicken ive ever tasted in my life :) I was planning to take a snap, however, once i finished making, i could’t stop eating and forgot all about taking the snap.. Sorry!Â
awww.. thank you very much Jerin! I’m really happy that you liked this recipe. It was difficult for me also to take snap without having a piece or two in between ;)
Cheers
Maria
I tried chilli chicken and fried rice from ur blog.Really came out very well.One of my nephews who doesnt eat anything otherothan shawarma and piza liked it sooooo much .Thanks alot…..
Hi Twinkle,
You are welcome dear! Great to know that the recipe worked well for you & your nephew enjoyed it :)
Thanks for the comment.
Wish you a happy new year!
Cheers
Maria
Your Recipes are tooo good.Just awesome.
Thank you very much Nisha!
Hi Ayesha,
I dont think adding malai is a good idea for this particular recipe. The taste will be completely different from the original recipe.
Cheers
Maria
what happens if malai is added to it?
Hi maria,
I tried the chilly chicken and Fried rice from you blog, it was yummy . Wanted to thank you for the recipe, in your blog.
Waiting to try more.
Regards
Sinju
Hi Sinju,
Nice to know that you liked the fried rice & chilli chicken recipe. Thanks a lot for the comment :)
Cheers
Maria
hi maria, time to give credit to you :) i found your blog three days ago… i made chilli chicken-maria’s style today,, and it was an instant hit. spicy and simple and awesome… everyone liked it. next time i’ll surely send you a pic :) it was a bit on the hot side, coz of normal chilli powder,,but we enjoyed a yummy lunch, thanks to you… so much work you’ve put into this,,, i’m new to the kitchen :) and am surely having a good time, still discovering each recipe here.
Hi Fari,
Thank you so much dear! I’m excited to read your comment :) Hope you get to try more recipes from here & like them too…
Please share your feedback for other recipes also…
Happy cooking!
Cheers
Maria
Hi Mariachi,
Hope your well. Long time no updates from me…so i thought ill try something and chilli chicken it was :)
Sadly something went wrong…I am not sure what happ. The colour of my chilli chicken was more black than red. I must admit I did not add any kasmiri chilli pwd. But it was really tasty for the ones who could bear the chilli heat :)
I am gonna try this recipe one more time and see if I can fix it. Will keep you posted :)
hey dear,
nice to hear from you. Hope you guys are doing good. I guess the dark colour is because of:
1. the chicken was fried till it became dark brown in colour.
2. If you used dark soy sauce.
Also the Kashmiri chilli powder helps in giving a nice red colour to the dish, so that can also be the reason. Anyways, thank you so much for trying it. I hope it comes out perfect next time :)
Cheers
Maria
My pregnancy tiredness not letting me cook much things these days.but when i look into ur blog ,can,t resist cooking.Thanks for the recipie and will try today
Hi Nisha,
Congrats! Hope you are feeling good :) Thanks for the comment dear. You take good care & rest. Eat well :)
God Bless!
Cheers
Maria
Thanks for sharing this recipe, I am eager to try it out! :) But I have a question – what exactly is “Kashmiri chilli powder”?
And  when you say “pepper powder” – do you mean black pepper powder?
Thanks in advance for you reply! Have a great day :)
Hi MK,
You are welcome! Kashmiri chilli powder is a kind of chilli powder that gives a very nice red colour with less heat. It’s also known as piriyan mulaku in Malayalam. Its available in all Indian grocery stores.
And I mean black pepper powder…
Hope you will like the chicken recipe. Happy cooking!
Cheers
Maria
hi maria, tried this today and it was really yummy…i am sending you a pic by mail
Hi Ramya,
Thanks dear! Btw I didnt get the pic… can you please email it to [email protected]
Cheers
Maria
I tried ur receipe.It came extremely well.CONGRATS. Kdly advice how many portions will this have .
Thank you,
 Regards
karthy.Â
Hi Karthy,
Thank you! It will serve around 3-4 people.
Cheers
Maria
ha..finally! i too remembr appu getting angry at us..he he.. n i too had temporarily ended my search for good recipe n got a packet of melam chilli chicken masala frm india to try out!!
 Add 2-3 drops of sesame oil in the sauce right at the end and see the difference :)
Superb !!! Every body should try this if not
Nice collection of recipes you do post, Maria. One tech suggestion though, Plz try to add this plugin: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/printfriendly/
This plugin adds a print & pdf button to your posts. This would be helpful for your blog lovers to print your recipes.
Hi Joel,
Thank you! Jose, my husband deals with the back end stuff of the blog, I’ll forward your comment to him. Thanks for the suggestion :)
Cheers
Maria
Thanks Joel, we have a print feature already, but I will look into your suggestion as it contains pdf as well.
thanks for your great recipe
Please post recipe of Chicken pepper curry
Check the sauce preparation part..somethings wrong i believe
Oh yes we always ordered chilliy chicken and fried rice or noodles when we were younger and when my sis came here we went to chinese and she wanted to have chilly chicken and the chinese chef said we don’t have a dish like that, so I had to tell sis that it is only in India we have this chinese dish.
And welcome back to blogging.
Hi Maria – its been a while since we received your postings. I have been eagerly waiting. The chilly chicken recipie looks great. A query – would it be better to use spring onions instead of normal onions? Trust you are keeping well.
Hai Maria chechi….i tried this recipe n came out yummy…..thanks for such wonderful recipes…
RoseÂ
hey maria.. welcome back.. :-) i am happy to say that i also belonged to ur category..whu will order FR & CC always wen we eat out..lol.. those exotic Chinese smell and the excitement to wait for it, i can never forget..:-) i also learned to make these after my marriage… this recipe seems different from what i do… we always add celery or spring onion to get that Chinese flavor..
Anyway will definitely try this one.. :-)
thanks maria for quick respond to my mail.i will surely try it out
yummy recipe..even i tried making chilly chicken using many recipes, but never 100% happy with any recipe..Will try this one soon..
Bookmarked it
This looks absolutely yummy…I should try this soon…Thanks
for the recipe dear…
thanks for the recipe. will try soon after the lent :)