Spice Bag with Curry Sauce

No Irish Chinese takeaway is complete without offering a spicebag on it’s menu. Crispy salt & pepper chicken mixed with seasoned chips drowned in curry sauce. Now, I am aware that they definitely do not sell Spicebags in China and that it is a completely made up Irish Chinese takeaway concoction. I know that this is in no way an authentic Chinese recipe by any means but I couldn’t not recreate the nations favourite takeout dish.

This is my take on making a healthier version than the grease laden options from the Chinese. The flavours are all still here minus the calories as we are not deep frying the chips or the chicken. I purchased my spicebag seasoning mix in Lidl, but it is essentially just salt/sugar & 5 spice, so if you have these in your cupboard this would work too, though I am sure that most supermarkets in Ireland have this in stock due to popular demand. This version of the spicebag if split between 4 people is only 444 calories per portion, with another 80 for the curry sauce on top. A spicebag dinner for less than 600 calories? YES PLEASE!

Ingredients for Spicebag (serves 4)

•      3 chicken breasts

•      100g breadcrumbs

•       1 tsp aromat

•       1 tsp peri peri seasoning (optional)

•       1 tsp paprika

•       2 tsp spice bag seasoning (or 1 tsp 5 spice +1 tsp salt + 1/2 tsp sugar)

• Lots of black pepper (to taste)

•      6 medium white potatoes peeled & cut into chips

•      1 carrot thinly sliced into rounds and halved

•       1 red pepper thinly sliced

•       1 red chilli thinly sliced

•       1 onion halved and sliced into strips

•       2 garlic cloves thinly sliced

•       2 tbsp groundnut oil

• Low cal cooking spray / spray oil of preference for the chicken.

•       Spring onion thinly sliced (optional for garnish)

• Chilli flakes (optional).

Ingredients for Curry sauce (serves 6)

•      2 medium onions (roughly chopped)

•       Thumb sized piece of fresh ginger

•       4 cloves garlic

•      500ml chicken stock

•      ½ tsp turmeric

•       ½ tsp 5 spice

•       1 tbsp hot curry powder

•      1 tbsp plain flour

Method for Spicebag

1.  Wash, peel & slice potatoes into chips. Run under cold water to remove starch until water runs clear

2. Preheat oven to 200 Celcius & airfyer (if using) to 200 (both can be cooked in oven too)

3. Place cut potatoes in microwave proof bowl and microwave for 10 mins (taking out and stirring around after 5 mins)

4. Once chips are out of the microwave add 1 tbsp groundnut oil to them and season with salt & pepper and toss together on a lined baking tray before baking in oven for 20mins. Try to line the potatoes in a single layer so that they cook evenly.

5. Once potatoes are in the oven mix together breadcrumbs, aromat, peri peri, 1 tsp of the spice bag seasoning and put in a ziplock bag or a bowl.

6. Slice your chicken into strips and add to the ziplock plastic bag with the breadcrumbs and shake until all coated

7. Add chicken strips to the airfryer, spray with a little oil (about 6 sprays) and cook for 20mins also

8. After 10 mins check on both the chips & airfryer and toss around to make sure even colour on both sides. Spray chicken with a few more sprays of oil (if needed).

9. While your chips & chicken are cooking with about 10mins remaining in the oven/airfryer, sauté the sliced veg (aside from the spring onion & a little bit of the chilli) in a tbsp oil in a large pan or skillet until softened (about 10-12mins)

10. Once Chicken and chips are ready add to the large pan with the veg and add the final tsp spice bag seasoning and about a tsp of chilli flakes (depending on how spicy you like it) and stir together until all evenly mixed through.

11. Garnish with the spring onion & chilli over the top

12. Pour over your sauce of choice (I like satay or curry). Continue reading if you want to make Chinese style curry sauce from scratch too

For Curry sauce

1. Heat 2 tbsp groundnut oil in a pot

2. Roughly half and quarter your onions into large chunks and add to oil

3. Sauté until onions translucent

4. Peel ginger & garlic to remove outer skin. Roughly chop garlic & ginger and add to the softened onions for a further 2-3 minutes (until fragrant)

5. Add all the spices & flour until evenly coating the onion mix

6. Finally add the stock and bring to a boil.

7. Puree together in a food blender / hand held mixer when ready to eat

8. Make sure to clean your blender straight away once blended as you don’t want the curry to discolour your blender!

Calories total roughly 524