Chicken & Cashew Stir Fry
from 5 ingredients 10 minutes page 230
serves 2
I ordered this the first ever time I went to a Thai restaurant. I can still remember how it blew me away with the tenderness of the chicken, the nutty crunch of the cashews and the exotic, pungent sauce.
So it was only natural that it was one of the first Thai dishes I learned to cook. These days I prefer to use the cashews as more of a main ingredient than just a highlight – part of reducing my meat intake.
Feel free to use a little sugar to season this. Traditionally is has quite a bit of sweetness, but I prefer it more salty.
100g cashew nuts
1 chicken breast, finely sliced
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
3 green onions (scallions), finely sliced
1. Heat a few tablespoons olive or peanut oil in a large wok or frying pan (skillet) over a high heat.
2. Stir fry chicken and cashew nuts for a few minutes or until chicken is just cooked through.
3. Quickly add the sauces and stir to heat through.
4. Taste and season with a little sugar if you like.
5. Remove from the heat and toss in green onions (scallions).
variations for dietary requirements:
vegetarian / vegan – Replace the chicken with about 200g (7oz) firm tofu cut into small chunks and replace the oyster and fish sauce with hoisin sauce.
nut free – Replace cashews with another chicken breast and toss in a large handful of fresh basil at the end.
troubleshooting guide:
too salty – Fish and oyster sauces vary in their level of saltiness. Next time try using less sauce but for now, sweeten with a little brown sugar to temper the salt.
too dry – Sounds like you need alittle more sauce. Add more of both the oyster and fish sauces in the ratio 3:1. A little water can help as well.
chicken too dry or tough– Its really critical not to overcook the chicken when stir frying. Next time make sure your chicken is chopped really finely, that you use a high heat and only cook the chicken until it is no longer pink.
chicken still pink – Ick, no one likes undercooked chicken. Best to pop it back in the pan for a few minutes. Next time chop the chicken into smaller pieces so it cooks quickly. Also make sure that all your chicken pieces are about the same size
serving suggestions
Serve with steamed rice or steamed veggies. Or serve with iceberg lettuce leaves for a different take on sang choi bau.
You could also have a Thai night and serve the stir fry with a curry like the red curry with potatoes & peas (although I probably wouldn’t serve cashews in this dish as well).
leftover potential:
OK. You can reheat but I tend not to enjoy reheated chicken that much.
Add to my Old Favourite Recipes