Air Fryer Kung Pao Chicken

• 300 g Jasmine rice
• 600 ml Water
• 650 g Chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
• 20 g Cornflour
• 60 ml Light soy sauce
• 30 ml Chinese black vinegar
• 30 ml Shaoxing Cooking Wine
• 20 g Brown sugar
• 30 g Doubanjiang chili bean paste
• 15 g Ginger root
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 4 Dried red chili
• 80 g Roasted peanuts
• 4 Spring onion

1. Rinse the jasmine rice until the water runs mostly clear, then put it in a saucepan with the water. Bring to the boil, cover, then cook on the lowest heat for 10 minutes. Take off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
2. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and toss with half the cornflour in a bowl. Heat the air fryer to 200°C (390°F), then air-fry the chicken for 10 to 12 minutes, shaking halfway, until browned and cooked through. Cook in batches if needed to keep the pieces in a single layer.
3. Meanwhile, whisk the light soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, Shaoxing Cooking Wine and brown sugar in a saucepan. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining cornflour with 2 tbsp water to make a smooth slurry. Finely chop the ginger, crush the garlic, and slice the spring onions; break the dried red chili into pieces.
4. Set the saucepan over medium heat and stir in the doubanjiang chili bean paste, ginger, garlic and dried red chili. Bring to a gentle simmer, then whisk in the cornflour slurry and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until thick and glossy. Keep the heat moderate so the sauce does not catch.
5. Add the air-fried chicken to the sauce and toss until evenly coated. Fold in the roasted peanuts and spring onions and cook for 1 minute to warm through. Serve immediately with the jasmine rice.

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