Burmese Sesame Chicken with Snow Peas

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Tender slices of chicken breast swathed in a glorious, sticky, sweet and salty sauce made using soy sauce and honey, with a delicious kick from some vinegar and loaded with sesame seeds and snow peas. It is difficult to believe that this amazing stir-fry can be prepared and ready to eat with some rice in just 30 minutes.

This recipe is typically made without chilli, but if you like some spice, add ¼ – ½ teaspoon chilli flakes and it will be just fabulous! 

Don’t eat meat? Emma tells me that this sauce, and the snow peas, work perfectly with a fillet of salmon.

I have only travelled to Burma, or Myanmar as it is called now, in my kitchen. This recipe is slightly adapted from a book called ‘Burma Superstar’ from the eponymous restaurant in San Francisco. Everything I have made from this cookery book has been fabulous – one day, when we can travel again, I would love to go to the actual restaurant. In fact I’d love to go to San Francisco!

Meanwhile, I shall keep trying their fabulous recipes which, so far, have all been quick to make and packed full of flavour.

How to make Burmese Sesame Chicken with Snow Peas

Please note: the quantities in the recipe at the bottom of the page are for 4 – 6 people. I was cooking for Andrew, Charlotte and me so the quantities in the photographs are using half the ingredients.

Collect all your ingredients together:

Chicken and Snow Peas:

• chicken breast, cut into strips
• cornflour
• fine salt
• ground black pepper
• sesame seeds
• vegetable oil
• dark sesame oil
• snow peas or mange tout, halved diagonally

Sauce:

• water
• Chinese rice vinegar
• soy sauce
• honey
• dark soy sauce
• soft brown sugar, or any sugar

To serve:

• spring onions, trimmed and chopped
• roughly chopped coriander
• Jasmine rice

How to make this amazing stir fry:

1. The chicken: slice the chicken thinly and transfer to a mixing bowl. Scatter over the cornflour, salt and pepper and stir well to mix ensuring each piece of chicken is covered in cornflour. Leave at room temperature whilst you prepare the rest of the dish.
2. The sauce: simply measure all the sauce ingredients into a jam jar, seal well with a lid and shake vigorously to mix.
3. Sesame seeds: heat the wok/frying pan over a moderate heat and add the sesame seeds. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes until lightly toasted, stirring regularly and keeping a close eye on them. Remove from a pan to a small dish as soon as they are done to prevent further browning.
4. Cook the chicken and snow peas: first cut the snow peas in half.
5. Heat the vegetable and sesame oil in the wok until hot and cook the chicken in batches, over a moderately high heat until just cooked. Remove from the wok and set on one side whilst you cook the remaining chicken. The amount you cook will depend on the size of your pan – do not over-crowd the pan.
6. When you have cooked all the chicken, wipe out the pan with some kitchen paper and return the chicken back to the pan with the snow peas. Dry stir fry for a minute or two to heat the chicken and snow peas through. Stir regularly.
7. Add all the sauce. Stir well to mix and let the sauce bubble and reduce until everything is covered in a glorious sticky brown sauce.
8. Finally, stir in the toasted sesame seeds.
9. To serve: serve over steamed or boiled jasmine rice scattered with chopped spring onions and coriander.

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Made this recipe?

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