Fresh water chestnuts are an underrated food. They have a natural crunch, and when fried and smothered in a Chinese-inspired sauce, they’re absolutely delicious. I first cobbled this recipe together from a few different Chinese or Chinese-inspired recipes when I wanted a side dish for Peking Duck. Some of this recipe comes from an Indo-Chinese recipe which adds a big dollop of ketchup, which I’ve left out here.

This is a dish best made when you aren’t in a rush or brain-fried after a long day. Peeling fresh water chestnuts takes some extra time. And even if you skip this in favor of canned (which you absolutely can do), there is a bit of juggling involved between frying the chestnuts and sautéing the sauce. If you’re adding it to a menu with other stir-fried dishes, you’ll want to be able to concentrate on several pans on the stove at once.

But this juggling can be a lot of fun, especially if you like a challenge in the kitchen, or you can work in tandem with other cooks without swatting each other with your spatulas (unless that part is consensual, in which case, have fun). This dish is a delicious accompaniment to stir-fried vegetables (as in the photo above), Szechuan Eggplant, and/or Peking Duck.

1 lb. fresh water chestnuts, peeled
oil for frying
salt to taste 
cornstarch (enough to coat the chestnuts + more for sauce)
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. ginger paste
minced garlic cloves or garlic paste
1/2 tsp. red chili flakes (optional)
1 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
chopped spring onion (for garnish)
sesame seeds (for garnish)

Heat the oil in a pan deep enough for frying. 

Put the peeled chestnuts in a bowl and sprinkle with a little salt, then cover with cornstarch and mix well.

Mix the sauce ingredients (minus cornstarch and water) and have them ready to go in a skillet. Whisk another tablespoon of cornstarch with about 1/2 cup water in a separate bowl.

Deep-fry the chestnuts until golden brown and dry on a paper towel. While they’re frying, start sautéing the sauce ingredients on low-medium heat.

Add the cornstarch water to the sauce to thicken it up. If it gets too thick, add some more water and whisk to combine. Toss in the still-hot chestnuts and get them nicely coated.

Sprinkle the spring onions and sesame seeds on top and serve with rice.