Uploaded January 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
An outstanding Vegetarian Guizhou Kung Pao with crunchy chickpeas that pack a real spicy chilli kick and in my opinion outclasses the original Kung Pow Chicken dish. This makes a fantastic takeaway style Chinese stir fried dish that is easy to make at home!
Join the email community:
https://www.culinaryexploration.eu/community
This dish is based on the Kung Pao / Gong Boa from the Guizhou province which uses a chilli / bean paste called Doubanjiang to add heat and depth. I am substituting this for gochujang which will give this dish a real kick and a lovely glossy finish. While that element may not be considered authentic I think this version delivers a really well balanced stir fried dish.
I like to use a wok to cook this dish but it isn’t necessary a good frying pan or sauté pan will deliver great results for the stir fry. You’ll need to deep fry your chickpeas in a larger pan though.
The Arbol chillis work very well in this but if you can’t find them then you could substitute it for something like a dried Thai chilli. Just be careful they aren’t too hot as it’s good to use several to make sure that the smokey heat from the dried chilli is well distributed throughout the stir fry sauce.
Try hard to find the Szechuan peppercorns as they add a really interesting flavour and sensation. Combined with the spicy elements of this Chinese stir fry dish the Szechuan peppercorns elevate the Kung pow to another level.
The chickpeas are double coated in cornflour semi-deep fried in the wok. This is an idea I had while researching an Indian chilli chana recipe. So I guess you could say this is a fusion of the two dishes. The chickpeas become crispy but retain their moisture and work really well in this Kung Poa dish.
Sauce:
Gochujang (Originally Doubanjang is used) - 1 heaped tbsp
Sriracha - 1 tbsp
Dark soy sauce - 1 tbsp
Light soy sauce - 2 tbsp
Chinese black vinegar - 3 tbsp
Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing cooking wine) - 1 tbsp
Sugar syrup - 3 tbsp (or 1-2 tsp of white sugar)
Sesame oil - 1 tsp
Splash of water to loosen
Stir fry ingredients
Arbol Chillis x7
Szechuan peppercorns x 1 tsp (roughly crushed)
Chopped garlic - 4 cloves
Chopped ginger - thumb size
Spring onions x5 or 6 - sliced to the same size as the chickpeas
Fried peanuts - handful
125g of chickpeas that have been soaked in water overnight, boiled and then deep fried
If you are cooking a vegan / plant based version then please make sure you double check the ingredients in the sauces that you use.
An outstanding Vegetarian Guizhou Kung Pao with crunchy chickpeas that pack a real spicy chilli kick and in my opinion outclasses the original Kung Pow Chicken dish. This makes a fantastic takeaway style Chinese stir fried dish that is easy to make at home!
Join the email community:
https://www.culinaryexploration.eu/community
This dish is based on the Kung Pao / Gong Boa from the Guizhou province which uses a chilli / bean paste called Doubanjiang to add heat and depth. I am substituting this for gochujang which will give this dish a real kick and a lovely glossy finish. While that element may not be considered authentic I think this version delivers a really well balanced stir fried dish.
I like to use a wok to cook this dish but it isn’t necessary a good frying pan or sauté pan will deliver great results for the stir fry. You’ll need to deep fry your chickpeas in a larger pan though.
The Arbol chillis work very well in this but if you can’t find them then you could substitute it for something like a dried Thai chilli. Just be careful they aren’t too hot as it’s good to use several to make sure that the smokey heat from the dried chilli is well distributed throughout the stir fry sauce.
Try hard to find the Szechuan peppercorns as they add a really interesting flavour and sensation. Combined with the spicy elements of this Chinese stir fry dish the Szechuan peppercorns elevate the Kung pow to another level.
The chickpeas are double coated in cornflour semi-deep fried in the wok. This is an idea I had while researching an Indian chilli chana recipe. So I guess you could say this is a fusion of the two dishes. The chickpeas become crispy but retain their moisture and work really well in this Kung Poa dish.
Sauce:
Gochujang (Originally Doubanjang is used) - 1 heaped tbsp
Sriracha - 1 tbsp
Dark soy sauce - 1 tbsp
Light soy sauce - 2 tbsp
Chinese black vinegar - 3 tbsp
Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing cooking wine) - 1 tbsp
Sugar syrup - 3 tbsp (or 1-2 tsp of white sugar)
Sesame oil - 1 tsp
Splash of water to loosen
Stir fry ingredients
Arbol Chillis x7
Szechuan peppercorns x 1 tsp (roughly crushed)
Chopped garlic - 4 cloves
Chopped ginger - thumb size
Spring onions x5 or 6 - sliced to the same size as the chickpeas
Fried peanuts - handful
125g of chickpeas that have been soaked in water overnight, boiled and then deep fried
If you are cooking a vegan / plant based version then please make sure you double check the ingredients in the sauces that you use.
