Thai Cashew Chicken

Name: Thai Cashew Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 1 cup rice; 500 g chicken breast fillet; 75 g cashew nuts; 1 white onion; 2 cloves garlic; 1 piece ginger (about the size of a walnut); 150 g red bell pepper (medium); 100 g spring onions (3 stalks); 150 g cucumber (half a cucumber); 2 tbsp cornstarch; 2 tbsp dark soy sauce; 2 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tbsp rice vinegar; 1 tsp sesame oil; 1 tbsp fish sauce; 1 tbsp oyster sauce; 2 tsp Sambal Oelek (optional); 2 tbsp oil (for frying); salt

Yields2 servings
CuisineThai
CategoryMain course

Preparation Time15 minutes
Cooking Time10 minutes
Total Time25 minutes

Markus Stumpf

Thai Cashew Chicken is a simple, quick dish that is commonly found in Thailand's street food stalls.

In Thailand this dish is known as Gai Pad Med Mamuang Himmapan (ไก่ผัดเม็ดมะม่วงเม็ดมะม่วง) and differs from the American version. My version is somewhat milder, and I find that the pieces of cucumber make the dish feel lighter.

About the Thai name:
Gai (ไก่): chicken
Pad (ผัด): stir-fried
Med Mamuang (เม็ดมะม่วง): literally "mango seed", the Thai name for cashew nuts because they resemble a small mango.
Himmapan (หัมพานต์): the mythical sacred forest, comparable to paradise in Thai mythology.

Ingredients

1 cup rice
500 g chicken breast fillet
75 g cashew nuts
1 white onion
2 cloves garlic
1 piece ginger (about the size of a walnut)
150 g red bell pepper (medium)
100 g spring onions (3 stalks)
150 g cucumber (half a cucumber)
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp Sambal Oelek (optional)
2 tbsp oil (for frying)
salt

Ingredients: marinated chicken breast fillet pieces
Ingredients: onion, garlic and ginger
Ingredients: bell pepper and spring onions
Ingredients: cucumber
Ingredients: sauce
Ingredients: cashew nuts
Toasted cashew nuts
Onion, garlic, ginger, bell pepper and spring onions
Stir-fried onion, garlic, ginger, bell pepper and spring onions
Stir-fried marinated chicken breast fillet pieces
Marinated chicken breast fillet pieces with cashew nuts and sauce
Marinated chicken breast fillet pieces with cashew nuts and thickened sauce
Add the vegetables
Finished dish: Thai Cashew Chicken
Finished dish: Thai Cashew Chicken

Instructions

Cook the rice.
Cut the chicken breast fillet into cubes and marinate it with the dark soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch for about 10 minutes.
Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon and season it with a pinch of salt.
Cut the onion into wedges, finely chop the garlic and slice the ginger into thin strips.
Cut the bell pepper into strips. Cut the spring onions into pieces about 5 cm long and halve the thicker pieces lengthwise.
Mix the light soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, fish sauce, oyster sauce and the remaining tablespoon of cornstarch into a smooth sauce.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan or wok over medium heat and toast the cashew nuts until lightly browned. Remove them and set aside.
Add the onion, garlic, ginger, bell pepper and spring onions to the pan and stir-fry them over medium-high heat. Remove and set aside.
Add the marinated chicken together with the remaining tablespoon of oil and stir-fry over medium-high to high heat until cooked through.
Reduce the heat, return the toasted cashew nuts to the pan and pour in the sauce. Bring it briefly to a boil until the cornstarch thickens the sauce.
Return the vegetables to the pan, add the Sambal Oelek, mix everything well and heat for another 2 minutes.
Serve the Thai Cashew Chicken with rice and the cucumber on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Actual values may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.