I once worked for a Chinese take way in the UK and have got the chance to observe how the sweet and sour sauce is prepared in a traditional way.  It took hours and hours to come out with a pot of sweet & sour sauce which it is then used as a sauce base for sweet and sour, lemon, honey kind of dishes.

Nowadays, there are many varieties of packed sauces available in the supermarket whereby we only need to add in chicken, meat and vegetable as instructed, which has indeed save us a lot of time and trouble.

As a working mum, I have to make sure the dinner is served before the kids is shouting for food.  One of the packet sauce that i bought from the supermarket was the Honey Chicken Paste, it stated No added MSG on the packet which is what I am looking for as I do not add any MSG in my cooking.

I just followed a few steps of  simple cooking instructions, adding on carrots and tomatoes to enhance the dish that will enable us to have vegetable in a single dish rather than just chicken.  I also add in some honey to make it sweeter for the kids because the original sauce is slightly spicy. 

Ingredients

• Chicken pieces ( I used 2 whole drumsticks & tighs with skin removed);
• I big onion (sliced);
• 1 carrot (optional);
• 1 tomato (optional);
• 1 small piece ginger (sliced);
• 1 packet of Honey Chicken Paste (I use Maggi brand, you may use the brand of your choice);
• 1 – 2 cups of water;
• 1 table spoon honey (optional);
• 5 table spoons cooking oil.

Method

1. Heat 5 table spoons cooking oil in a wok/pan, fry chicken pieces until just cooked; take out and set aside.
2. Reduce the cooking oil to just enough to fry the onion and ginger.  Fry for 1.5 minutes with medium fire, pour in the water follow by the Honey Chicken paste, 1 table spoon of honey, mix well;
3. Add in chicken pieces, carrot and tomato, let it cook till the carrot is soften.
4. Serve with rice.

Tips: any leftover can be frozen for future consumption.