Thai Cashew Chicken (ไก่ผัดเม็ดมะม่วง)

This thundercrack-fast Thai stir-fry dish combines tender, savoury chicken and nubbly cashew nuts.

This classic Thai stir fry, known long-hand as ‘gai pad med mamuang’ is a testament to the Chinese influence in Thai cuisine. Using classic stir-frying technique, this dish combines diced chicken and vegetables with a savoury elixir of soy sauce, oyster sauce and fish sauce. What’s more, there’s heat from Thai chilli paste (nam prik pao) [BEST BUY] - a must-have in Thai stir-fry dishes, as well as a sweet-sour reflex of brown sugar and lime. Finally, the star of show: cashew nuts. These nuts are celebrated in Thailand and offer a satisfying crunch to boot. All in all, a wonderfully quick Thai dish for a weeknight. You can’t go wrong! Let’s go!

INGREDIENTS (serves 2x)

• 2x tablespoons oil

• 75g cashew nuts

• 2 chicken thighs or 1x chicken breast or tofu, diced

• 2 tsps brown sugar

• 1x tablespoon Thai soy sauce (or light soy sauce)

• 1x tablespoon oyster sauce

• 1 tsp Thai fish sauce

• 1-2 tsp Thai chilli paste [BEST BUY] - or substitute with sriracha sauce

• 1x shallot, sliced

• 2x cloves garlic, sliced

• 1x bell pepper, sliced

• 2 tsps lime juice, or to taste

• 2x spring onions, sliced

• 1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil

WALKTHROUGH

1. First, let’s toast the cashew nuts. Place a wok onto medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil followed by the 75g of cashew nuts. Allow the cashew nuts to toasty until lightly golden. Drain them from the oil with a spoon and set them aside for later.

   

2. To the wok and the remaining oil, add the diced chicken/tofu. Increase the heat to high and stir-fry until sealed on the outside, about 1-2 minutes.

   

3. Now we’ll add the savoury sauces. Add 50ml of water followed by 2 tsps brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of Thai soy sauce (or light soy sauce), 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tsp Thai fish sauce and 1-2 tsp Thai chilli paste. Stir-fry until the chicken is coated and continue to cook on high heat for a further one minute until the sauce reduces to a glaze.

   

   

4. Once well-glazed, add the vegetables. Add the sliced bell pepper, diced shallot and diced garlic. Toss until combined, and continue to stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. You want some crunch to remain in the peppers, and some potency to remain in the shallot and garlic.

   

5. Once well glazed, add the fried cashew nuts followed by the sliced spring onions and a dash of lime juice to taste. Toss until coated.

   

6. Serve the stir-fry with jasmine rice while it’s hot, or pack it up for an electrifying lunch tomorrow. Enjoy!