By Simran Makkar
October 7, 2026
Dragon chicken is one of those starters you order without thinking, usually the first thing on the Indo-Chinese section of the menu. It looks complicated, but it isn't. Fry the chicken till crisp, whip up a quick spicy sauce, and toss the two together right before you eat.
– 1 egg – 500g boneless chicken, cut into strips – ½ cup cornflour – 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour – 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste – 1 tablespoon soy sauce, plus 1 tablespoon for the sauce – ½ teaspoon black pepper – Salt to taste – Oil, for deep frying – 1 tablespoon oil, for the sauce – 4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
– 1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped – 3-4 dried red chillies, broken – 1 medium onion, cut into cubes – 1 capsicum, cut into cubes – 2 tablespoons red chilli sauce – 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup – 1 teaspoon vinegar – 1 teaspoon sugar – 2 tablespoons spring onion greens, chopped – 2 tablespoons cashews, fried
Marinate the chicken with the egg, ginger-garlic paste, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, black pepper, and salt. Let it rest for 20-30 minutes.
Add the cornflour and all-purpose flour and mix until each strip is coated.
Heat oil in a deep pan and fry the chicken in batches until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
In a separate pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil and add the garlic, ginger, and dried red chillies. Sauté for a minute.
Add the onion and capsicum, and stir-fry on high heat for 2 minutes. Keep them a little crunchy.
Add the chilli sauce, ketchup, remaining soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar. Mix well and let it bubble for 30 seconds.
Add the fried chicken and toss quickly so every piece gets coated.
Top with spring onion greens and fried cashews, and serve right away while it's still crisp.