Cashew chicken
ไก่ผัดเม็ดมะม่วงหิมพานต์ (gai pad med mamuang himmaphan) — chicken stir-fried with cashews and dried chillies
Crunchy, mild and gently sweet, this stir-fry is what central Thai families order for the table when children or chilli-shy guests are eating too. Strips of chicken are dusted in cornflour and fried golden, then tossed with roasted cashews, onion, spring onion and whole dried chillies that are crisped in the oil for smoky colour rather than fierce heat. Restaurants from Bangkok to Hua Hin serve it as one dish of a shared meal, with steamed rice and a sour soup such as tom yum. The sauce is glossy and savoury from oyster sauce, with a spoonful of roasted chilli paste for depth. Chef's tip: toast the cashews slowly in the oil before anything else goes into the wok; they stay crunchy far longer than nuts thrown in raw.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 14 oz chicken breastcut into thin strips
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
For the stir-fry
- 2 ⅞ oz raw unsalted cashews
- 6 dried long red chilliescut into 2 cm pieces, seeds shaken out
- 4 cloves garlicchopped
- 1 onioncut into thin wedges
- 1 red peppercut into 2 cm pieces
- 3 spring onionscut into 4 cm lengths
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 tbsp water
To serve
- 1 ⅓ lb cooked jasmine rice (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Toss 14 oz chicken breast with 2 tbsp cornflour until every strip is lightly coated; wash the board and knife. In a cup, mix 2 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp Thai roasted chilli paste (nam prik pao), 1 tsp sugar and 3 tbsp water.
Step 2: Heat 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok over a low to medium heat, add 2 ⅞ oz raw unsalted cashews and stir for 3–4 minutes, until evenly golden. Lift out with a slotted spoon, leaving the oil behind.
4 minStep 3: Add 6 dried long red chillies to the same oil and stir for 15–20 seconds, just until they darken to a deep brick red, then lift them out at once. Let them go black and the whole dish tastes bitter.
Step 4: Turn the heat to high. Lay the chicken in a single layer (in two batches if your wok is small) and fry for about 2 minutes a side, until golden and cooked through with no pink inside, 165°F (165 °F). Set aside.
5 minStep 5: In the oil left in the wok, fry 4 cloves garlic for 20 seconds, then add 1 onion and 1 red pepper and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until the edges char but the vegetables still crunch.
2 minStep 6: Return the chicken, pour in the sauce and toss for 1 minute, until everything is glossy and the sauce has thickened.
1 minStep 7: Take the wok off the heat, add the cashews, chillies and 3 spring onions and toss once more. Serve straight away with 1 ⅓ lb cooked jasmine rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cashew chicken take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of chicken breast?
- Boneless chicken thighs, same weight (a few minutes longer).
- What can I use instead of cornflour?
- Arrowroot or potato starch, same amount.
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