Step 1

In a small saucepan, saute ginger and garlic paste in sesame oil for 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant.

Step 2

Stir 1½ tablespoons of cornstarch into ½ cup of water.

Step 3

Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, cornstarch/water mixture, and red pepper flakes to the saucepan.

Step 4

Simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until sauce thickens to a syrup consistency. This will take approximately 10 minutes.

Step 5

Remove from heat.

Step 6

Fill a deep stockpot/Dutch oven or frying pan with 2 to 3 inches of oil.

Step 7

Affix a food thermometer to the side of the pan and heat the oil to 350°F. This will take about 10 minutes to reach the desired temperature.

Step 8

While the oil is heating, prepare the battered chicken. Whisk together the salt, pepper, and flour in a bowl. Then pour the buttermilk into a second bowl.

Step 9

Working with just a few pieces of chicken at a time, dip each piece of chicken into the flour mixture to coat it. Then, dip it into the buttermilk. Finally, dip it back into the flour mixture and set it on a separate plate.

Step 10

When the oil has reached 350°F, batch cook the chicken. Add 5 to 8 pieces of battered chicken to the hot oil at a time, frying for about 2 minutes and then flipping them over to cook on the other side for another 2 minutes.

Step 11

When the chicken is uniformly golden brown, remove it from the oil, draining the excess oil back into the pan, and placing the fried chicken onto a few paper towels to absorb any additional oil.

Step 12

Continue batch cooking the chicken, ensuring that the oil maintains a fairly constant temperature of 350°F.

Step 13

When all of the chicken has finished cooking, transfer it to a large bowl.

Step 14

Pour the sauce over the top and toss to coat evenly.

Step 15

Serve over rice immediately then garnish with toasted sesame seeds and green onions, if desired.