Kung Pao chicken/beef - What's in it?

[boomhauer]

Does it usually come with vegetables? If not, does anything come with it? Can you order it extra spicey or is dependant on the restaurant?

 

[GoodFairies]

It has peanuts in it and usually is quite spicy. I tihnk it has a couple types of veggies in it also.

 

[ckay87]

Oh, my favorite. Where I order it, it has TONS of peanuts and also veggies. Comes with rice on the side. I don't find it terribly spicy, but people would definitely disagree.

 

[boomhauer]

I wonder if I can order it without peanuts and extra spicey?

 

[Towncrier]

Don't the peanuts make it "Kung Pao"?

You might try ordering Szechwan style dishes if you want the spice without the peanuts.

 

[boomhauer]

Don't the peanuts make it "Kung Pao"?

You might try ordering Szechwan style dishes if you want the spice without the peanuts.

According to my menu, it says "KUNG-PAO is the most famous stayle of Szechuan cooking, invented by the teacher of a Manchu prince."

Nowhere on the menu is there a section for Szechuan style.

There is Yu-Hsiang style. What's that all about?

 

[disykat]

You can order it with varying degrees of spicyness, but every kung pao I've seen has dried chili peppers as a key ingredient along with garlic.

When I order Kung Pao chicken (or shrimp, etc.) it comes with onion, celery, and sometimes water chestnuts as the vegies. It always comes with peanuts, but I see no reason you couldn't order it without.

I make it at home without peanuts since we have peanut allergies and don't eat at Chinese (or Thai,etc.) restaurants as a family for that reason.

At home, the sauce I make is pretty much cooking sherry and cornstarch. The spice comes from the garlic and the peppers. I toss some grated ginger in sometimes as well. We like lots of peppers for flavor, but push them to the side rather than eating them to avoid the heat.