Kung Pao (also known as Gong Bao or Kung Pu) is a very famous dish of Chinese Szechuan cuisine from the province of Szechuan in southwest China. It is unbeatably delicious, quickly prepared and the perfect filling. The special feature of this recipe is the so-called Szechuan pepper*. Together with the chilli powder it makes the dish slightly hot, but the sauce makes it slightly sweet again. A real culinary delight! Originally it is prepared with chicken, but I recommend the vegan version with natural tofu.
You wonder if you have to buy extra Szechuan pepper for that? I highly recommend it. Although it's a little special, it's the key ingredient in this dish. It cannot be compared to normal pepper, as it is not related to it anyway. It brings a slight pungency and at the same time a little freshness to your dish. And quite honestly: If you have cooked it a few times and are experienced in it, the pepper will soon run out anyway, because you will notice how delicious this pan is. I promise you that. We eat it at least once a month, even more often. Because it is so quick and easy and tastes so good! You really can't do much wrong here. Besides, you can use the Szechuan pepper also for other dishes like soups, salads, other vegetable pans and so on. There are no limits for your spice dreams.
The Chinese black vinegar* is also very important for this recipe. It is fermented and is known for its malty, woody and smoky taste. It can be used in many different ways and is worth buying it at the Asia Shop around the corner. I hope that this recipe will stimulate your Asian taste buds a little so that you can enjoy this wonderful cuisine.
By the way, I prepared the rice in the digital rice cooker* from Reishunger. For some time I thought about whether it would be one food processor too many. But no! It was really worth it! There is no better rice than from the rice cooker - I swear to you. Do you know that when you go out of an Asian or Indian restaurant and you ask yourself how they got the rice so good? Just like this! It's no effort at all. You just wash the desired amount of rice, add the right amount of water to the pot, press the program and the rice cooker does the rest. It doesn't get any better than that. If I can recommend you something from the bottom of my heart, then a digital rice cooker* from Reishunger! If you are interested, you can also use my discount code "reissnackicat". With this code you get a "Find your favorite rice" set worth 18€ (minimum order value: 15€). Jackpot, right?
If you like the recipe, feel free to write me a comment or leave me a review. You can also find me on Instagram or Pinterest. I would be glad if you drop by. And now: happy cooking!
