Name: Pollo tipakay with tamarind and pineapple
Prep time: 22 min
Cook time: 29 min
Total time: 51 min
Cuisine: Peruvian cuisine
Ingredients: 650 g boneless skinless chicken thigh, cut into 4 cm pieces; 100 g potato starch, 88 g coating and 12 g sauce slurry; 55 g egg, 1 large, beaten; 3 g fine salt, for chicken; 600 ml neutral vegetable oil, for deep-frying, majority discarded; 60 g unsweetened tamarind concentrate, seedless; 200 ml unsalted chicken stock, for sauce; 50 g white sugar, measured; 150 g fresh pineapple, small chunks; 120 g red bell pepper, square pieces; 100 g snow peas, strings removed; 15 g fresh ginger, minced; 20 ml rice vinegar, plain; 15 ml soy sauce, regular

Pollo tipakay with tamarind and pineapple

Yield 4 servings

Prep 22 minutes

Cook 29 minutes

Passive 0 minutes

Total 51 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Pollo tipakay with tamarind and pineapple

Tipakay is the sweet-and-sour counterpart to chijaukay on many Peruvian chifa menus. Crisp chicken takes on a glossy sauce whose sharpness comes from tamarind and vinegar, while pineapple and sugar round out the acidity. The result is intentionally sweeter than a soy-based savoury chicken dish.

For a practical home preparation, ready-made unsweetened tamarind concentrate avoids the long reduction of fruit peel found in some chifa recipes. Choose a product with tamarind as its defining ingredient, not a sweetened bottled dipping sauce, so the sugar remains measurable.

Cook the peppers and snow peas briefly to preserve their shape. Fry small batches of coated chicken and verify their temperature before adding them to the sauce; once the crust is wet, its crunch is fleeting. The final toss needs only enough time to glaze each piece.

Ingredients

Chicken

650 g boneless skinless chicken thigh, cut into 4 cm pieces
100 g potato starch, 88 g coating and 12 g sauce slurry
55 g egg, 1 large, beaten
3 g fine salt, for chicken
600 ml neutral vegetable oil, for deep-frying, majority discarded

Sweet-and-sour sauce

60 g unsweetened tamarind concentrate, seedless
200 ml unsalted chicken stock, for sauce
50 g white sugar, measured
150 g fresh pineapple, small chunks
120 g red bell pepper, square pieces
100 g snow peas, strings removed
15 g fresh ginger, minced
20 ml rice vinegar, plain
15 ml soy sauce, regular

Method

Coat the chicken.Mix the 650 g chicken with the beaten 55 g egg and 3 g salt; coat evenly with 88 g potato starch, reserving 12 g for the glaze. Time: 8 minutes. Readiness: The pieces are lightly coated, with no exposed patches of wet chicken.
Start the tamarind base.Reserve a spoonful of the 200 ml stock for the later starch slurry. Whisk the remaining stock with 60 g unsweetened tamarind, 50 g sugar, 20 ml vinegar and 15 ml soy sauce in a saucepan. Add the 15 g ginger and warm gently. Time: 6 minutes. Readiness: The sugar dissolves and a smooth, tangy sauce forms without sticking.
Sauté pineapple and greens.Add the 150 g pineapple, 120 g bell pepper and 100 g snow peas. Simmer briefly so the vegetables stay distinct. Time: 4 minutes. Readiness: The peas brighten and the pepper is tender at the edges but remains crisp.
Thicken the glaze.Mix the remaining 12 g starch with a spoonful of the measured stock reserved before heating, whisk back into the saucepan and simmer gently. Time: 2 minutes. Readiness: The sauce becomes glossy and coats the back of a spoon in a thin layer.
Bring oil to temperature.Heat the 600 ml frying oil in a deep heavy pan to 175 °C, monitoring with a frying thermometer. Time: 5 minutes. Readiness: The oil is clear and steady at 175 °C. Mandatory safe endpoint: 175 °C. Do not add wet ingredients or leave hot oil unattended.
Fry the chicken in batches.Fry the coated pieces in two batches for approximately 5 minutes each, until crisp. Check that the thickest chicken pieces reach at least 74 °C, then drain on a rack. Time: 10 minutes. Readiness: The coating is evenly crisp and each piece holds its shape. Mandatory safe endpoint: 74 °C. A golden crust does not replace a thermometer check.
Glaze and serve.Rewarm the sauce if necessary, add the drained chicken and toss briefly so every piece has a thin glossy coating. Serve straight away. Time: 2 minutes. Readiness: There is no raw starch taste and the sauce clings rather than pooling.

Practical

Serving and storage

Serve promptly while the sweet-and-sour glaze is hot and the chicken coating still has texture. Chill leftovers within 2 hours; refrigerate no longer than 3 days at 4 °C or below and reheat to at least 74 °C. The coating will soften.

Substitutions

A bottled sweetened tamarind sauce is not an equal substitution: it changes the sugar and acidity substantially. Fresh pineapple may be replaced by unsweetened canned pineapple that is well drained, changing texture slightly.

Control points

CheckPossible cause — If the sauce becomes syrupy, it has reduced too far; add a little of the listed stock before adding chicken.
CheckPossible cause — If chicken turns soggy, it has spent too long in the sauce; coat immediately before serving.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size1 of 4 servings
Calories710 kcal
Carbohydrate62 g
Protein39 g
Fat34 g
Fibre3 g
Sodium600 mg

Allergens and food safety

Main allergens and dietary notices: egg; soy. Bring chicken to a verified internal temperature of at least 74 °C and avoid reusing utensils that touched raw chicken. Refrigerate leftovers promptly; ensure food reheated from the refrigerator reaches at least 74 °C. Refrigerate perishables promptly and observe the specific storage and reheating guidance above.

Closing

On the plate: Crisp chicken is folded through a glossy tamarind-pineapple sauce with pepper and snow peas: a sweet-and-sour chifa main.
The key control: Cook the peppers and snow peas briefly to preserve their shape.