Gong Bao Ji Ding (宫保鸡丁) is named after Ding Baozhen, a Qing dynasty governor of Sichuan whose honorary title was Gong Bao — "palace guardian". The dish that carries his name is one of the most ordered in the world, and one of the most altered.
The Sichuan original is a dry stir-fry. Diced chicken is velveted — marinated with a little egg white and starch so it stays tender — then fried fast with dried red chillies, Sichuan peppercorn, garlic, ginger and roasted peanuts. The sauce is small in volume and sharp: black vinegar, a little sugar, soy. It clings rather than pools. The chillies are there for aroma, not to be eaten.
What most people are served instead is a thick, sweet, red-orange sauce with bell peppers and no Sichuan peppercorn at all. Pleasant enough, but it has lost the defining characteristic — the má, the citrusy numbness that makes the dish Sichuan rather than generic.
What to order here
On our menu the closest dish is Chicken with Peanuts at Rs. 840 — diced chicken, roasted peanuts, dried chilli and Sichuan peppercorn, cooked dry the way it should be.
If you like the idea but want something richer, Chicken with Cashew Nuts at Rs. 1,060 uses cashews instead of peanuts and a slightly heavier sauce. Garlic Chicken Slice at Rs. 840 goes the other way — no chilli, just a lot of garlic.
For a version with real heat, Boiled Chicken Sichuan Style at Rs. 950 is poached chicken served in chilli oil. It looks alarming and is more fragrant than fiery.
Eating it properly
Push the dried chillies to the side of the plate — they are aromatics, not food. Eat the peanuts with the chicken rather than picking them out; the contrast between the soft meat and the crunch is half the point. And expect a faint tingling on the lips afterwards. That is the peppercorn doing its job, and it means the dish was made correctly.
The full chicken section runs to twelve dishes on our menu.