Chicken Marination: Start by marinating the chicken cubes with a tablespoon of soy sauce, a tablespoon of vinegar, crushed black peppercorns, and a pinch of salt. Allow it to sit for at least 30 minutes.

Sauce Mixture: In a separate bowl, combine the remaining soy sauce, vinegar, red chili paste, and sugar. Mix until the sugar dissolves. This will be the sauce for the dish.

Chilies Prep: Break the dry red chilies into halves. Discard the seeds as they can add too much heat.

Sautéing Chicken: In a wok or a large pan, heat the sesame oil on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the marinated chicken pieces. Cook until the chicken is browned on all sides and mostly cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside.

Infusing the Oil: In the same pan, add the broken red chilies. Fry them until they turn dark but not burnt. This infuses the oil with a spicy aroma.

Aromatic Base: Add finely chopped ginger and garlic to the wok. Sauté until they are aromatic and slightly golden.

Adding Sauce: Pour in the prepared sauce mixture. Stir well and let it simmer for 1-2 minutes until it starts to thicken slightly.

Returning Chicken: Add the partially cooked chicken pieces back to the wok. Toss everything together ensuring the chicken pieces are well coated with the sauce.

Thickening the Sauce: Slowly add the cornflour slurry while continuously stirring to avoid lumps. This will give the sauce a nice glossy finish and thicken it.

Adding Nuts: Stir in the roasted peanuts or cashews, mixing well.

Final Seasoning: Check for seasoning and adjust salt or sugar if needed.

Garnishing: Turn off the heat, transfer to a serving dish, and garnish with sliced green onions.