Cashew Chicken

Helga Glaesel de Blandingseptiembre 30, 2010

This post is also available in ENGLISH (INGLÉS)

This is a simple stir fry you can make when you’re in the mood for an Asian style dish. I think I was inspired to make it, because a friend of the family, Anika, who is allergic to nuts just left Guatemala to get her Master’s degree in Holland, we used to tease her (in a friendly way) about things having nuts in them after she had already taken a bite, so that subject was in the air. I bet she’s glad not to have us morons teasing her like that anymore!

Anyway, this dish is simple but really delicious; it has a Kung Pao vibe to it. I added snow peas to the original recipe because I had some in my fridge and didn’t want them to spoil. You can use them if you want, and instead of onion, you can use spring onions, which I think would make it tastier. This dish calls for oyster sauce, which you can find in Asian gourmet stores.

Cashew Chicken

Ingredients:

1 boneless & skinless chicken breast, about 10 oz. (cut into small cubes)
1/2 cup cashew nuts
1 small green bell pepper, about 4 oz. (cut into small square pieces)
5 slices ginger
½ lb snow peas
1/4 onion (cut into small square pieces)

Marinade:

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon rice wine

Sauce:

3/4 teaspoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons water
3 dashes white pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice wine
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
Salt to taste

Procedure:

Marinate the chicken meat with the baking soda for 15-20 minutes and then rinse the chicken thoroughly. (Please make sure that the chicken is properly rinsed clean of the baking soda.)
Pat the chicken meat dry with paper towels and then marinate with the rest of the ingredients for 15 minutes.
Mix the sauce together and set aside.
Heat up a wok or large frying pan with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and stir-fry the chicken meat until the color turns white or half-cooked. Dish out and set aside.
Add another 1 tablespoon of cooking oil into the wok and add in the ginger slices, bell peppers, snow peas and onions.
Stir-fry until you smell the peppery aroma from the green peppers and add the chicken meat back in.
Add in the cashew nuts and do a few quick stirs.
Add in the sauce and stir continuously until the chicken meat is cooked and well coated with the sauce. Add salt to taste, dish out and serve the Cashew Chicken hot with steamed white rice.