Figuring out how to make your favourite takeaways at home helps you control the ingredient quantities that get put into it such as salt and sugar. Combine this with following your macro balancing and portion sizes, and you can easily have a delish 'takeaway' night at home and stick within your base nutrition guidelines.

This crispy chicken in sticky sauce tastes like the real deal, serve it up with egg noodles or rice, and plenty of steamed veges. If you would like less or no table sugar in the recipe, try substituting it with honey - remember that you can taste the sauce as you go to make adjustments!

INGREDIENTS

• 450g chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 4 tbsp cornflour
• 1 egg, beaten (if egg is small, may need two)
• 1/4 cup flour

For the Sauce:

• 1 tbspn sesame oil
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp runny honey
• 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

Set up three bowls - one containing the cornflour, another egg, and the third flour. Toss chicken pieces through the cornflour until coated on all sides. Add pieces into the egg mixture and turn them in it to coat (you want to try and avoid scraping off the cornflour when you do this). Next, add pieces into flour one at a time until coated and shake off the excess.

Heat heavy based frying pan over medium to high heat, add sesame oil. Pan fry the chicken until browned, cooked through and crispy.

Remove the chicken, place into a dish and set aside.

Add all sauce ingredients to your frying pan and simmer until sauce has reduced and is slightly thickened. Add chicken into the sauce and turn to coat. Serve straight away, sprinkle with sesame seeds to garnish (optional).

Image / NZ Real Health