Home Cooking: Improvised Kung Po Baby Octopus (香辣小章鱼)

This has to be the most delicious baby octopus recipe ever!!! I stumbled upon the video of a Taiwanese cooking show last night, sharing the recipe to make "香辣小章鱼". So I jotted down the recipe and improvised it a little. It looks and tastes almost-similar-but-not-exactly-same as Kung Po (宫保) Stir Fry. The baby octopus were so crispy and delicious after deep fried, and even tastier when the thick and sweet hot sauce was blended with perfection with the deep fried baby octopus. Now, are you tempted yet after looking at the pictures? I have also tried making them with other drooling recipes like Sweet & Sour and Salt & Pepper which are worth the time and effort.

The ingredients needed are:

• 12 Baby octopus (I've only used 8 for my case).
• Cornstarch (enough to coat the baby octopus).
• 1 Egg (slightly beaten).
• Cooking oil (enough to cover and deep fried the baby octopus).

For plate decorations:

• 1 Bunch of broccoli (cut into same-size pieces, boiled in hot water with few drops of cooking oil and a pinch of salt).
• 1 Carrot (cut into triangle shapes, 5 pieces or more).

Ingredients needed to prepare the sauce / gravy:

• 1 tablespoon of cooking oil for stir-frying.
• 30g dried chillies (cut into half, remove the seeds).
• 2 garlic cloves (peeled and finely chopped).
• 1/2 cup of water.
• 1 nip of Chinese rice wine.
• ABC sweet soy sauce (most recommended) / dark soy sauce.
• 2 teaspoon of sugar.
• 1/4 onion (sliced, preferably red onions).
• 1 spring onion (cut small).

Pat dry the baby octopus with paper towel, then dip into a beaten egg.


Coat the baby octopus evenly with cornstarch.

Heat the wok over medium-high to high heat. Add the baby octopus when the oil temperature is medium hot, and deep fry until the baby octopus floats on the oil surface / turns gold brown, then drain and set aside.

• Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil into a medium-hot wok / pan, slowly stir-fry the dried chillies until fragrant, add minced garlic and stir-fry until light gold. 
• Add 1/2 of hot water, 1 nip of rice wine (pour around the wok / pan), sweet soy sauce (according to personal taste), 2 teaspoons of sugar (increase or decrease according to personal taste), onion and shallot slices, and bring it to boil.
• Add the baby octopus back into the wok / pan, toss to coat in the gravy, remove from the heat and serve hot.

Steamed Chicken Thigh, contribution of my BB for tonight's dinner.