Thai Cashew Chicken

This classic among Thai dishes is very popular and is basically stir-fried chicken and cashew nuts. Oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce and a hint of Golden Mountain sauce adds umami flavor and the Thai chili paste contributes with heat and additional depth. It is a very easy and quick dish to whip up, so it is suitable for all days of the week.

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You will need

1 ¼ lb chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces, about 0.6 inch thick

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 ½ tbsp water

0.85 cup cornstarch

Oil for frying

Sea salt

1 ¼ cup + 1/5 cup unsalted, pre roasted or raw cashews

4 tbsp canola oil

1 small yellow onion (about 5 oz), cut into large pieces

1 shallot (about 1.75 oz), sliced

1 ¼ cup green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 ¼ cup orange or yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 ¼ cup red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

10 dried red chili peppers, roughly chopped

6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or grated on the coarse side of the grater

4 spring onions, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces

Sauce

3 tbsp water

1 tsp cornstarch

2 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp Golden Mountain sauce

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp sugar

¼ tsk MSG

3 tbsp Thai chili paste

1 tbsp roasted sesame oil

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How to make it

1. Prepare all ingredients before cooking.

2. Roast the cashews in the oven at 350°F for 10–15 minutes until they darken (the shorter time if they are pre roasted). Stir occasionally. Set aside.

1 ¼ cup + 1/5 cup unsalted, pre roasted or raw cashews

3. Mix the chicken with soy sauce and water. Stir well and let marinate for at least 15 minutes.

1 ¼ lb chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces, about 0.6 inch thick

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 ½ tbsp water

4. Measure the cornstarch in a bowl and shake off the marinade from the chicken pieces before they are turned around in the cornstarch. Place the chicken in one layer on a plate and set aside.

0.85 cup cornstarch

1 ¼ lb marinated pieces of chicken breast

5. For the sauce: Mix the cornstarch with water and stir so that there are no lumps left. Add all other sauce ingredients and mix well. Set aside.

3 tbsp water

1 tsp cornstarch

2 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp Golden Mountain sauce

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp sugar

¼ tsk MSG

3 tbsp Thai chili paste

1 tbsp roasted sesame oil

6. Pour oil for frying into a wok and heat up. Check that the oil is hot enough by putting down a wooden handle from a ladle or a wooden chop stick. If small bubbles form around the handle or chop stick, the oil is hot enough. Fry the chicken in small batches for about 3 minutes and let the fried chicken drain on kitchen paper. Salt the chicken immediately when it’s removed from the oil.

Oil for frying

1 ¼ lb chicken pieces marinated and dipped in cornstarch chicken

Sea salt

7. Prepare dried chili by cutting it in big pieces and chop or grate the garlic and put in separate bowls.

10 dried red chili peppers, roughly chopped

6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or grated on the coarse side of the grater

8. Prepare all the vegetables and put in separate bowls as follows: all bell pepper in one bowl, yellow onion, and shallot in one bowl, and spring onion in one bowl.

1 small yellow onion (about 5 oz), cut into large pieces

1 shallot (about 1.76 oz), sliced

1 ¼ cup green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 ¼ cup orange or yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 ¼ cup red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 spring onions, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces

9. Pour oil into a wok and heat up. Add the dried chili peppers and turn down the heat to low and stir until they darken. It takes about a minute. Let them drain on kitchen paper.

4 tbsp canola oil

10 dried red chili peppers, roughly chopped

10. Turn up the heat and add garlic. Sauté while stirring for about 30 seconds without the garlic taking color.

6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or grated on the coarse side of the grater

11. Add bell pepper and stir-fry for about 2 minutes.

1 ¼ cup green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 ¼ cup orange or yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 ¼ cup red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

12. Add fried chicken, yellow onion and shallots and stir-fry for about 2–3 minutes.

1 ¼ lb fried chicken breast

1 small yellow onion (about 5 oz), cut into large pieces

1 shallot (about 1.75 oz), sliced

13. Add the sauce and fry while stirring for about a minute.

3 tbsp water

1 tsp cornstarch

2 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp Golden Mountain sauce

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp sugar

¼ tsk MSG

3 tbsp Thai chili paste

1 tbsp roasted sesame oil

14. Turn off the heat and add spring onions, chili, and roasted cashews and mix well. Do this step right at serving so that the cashews remain crunchy.

4 spring onions, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces

10 dried and fried red chili peppers, roughly chopped

1 ¼ cup roasted unsalted cashews

15. Place on a serving dish and sprinkle the reserved cashews over the top.

1/5 cup roasted cashews

16. Serve immediately with jasmine rice.