Spicy Chicken with Peppers and Cashew Nuts
A weekday’s dinner saver recipe. Very popular in my house and much better than ordering takeout. The addition of roasted cashews gives an addictive nutty flavor to the dish and red pepper flakes add the extra kick. You just cannot stop asking for a second helping. If there is something left!
Yield: 4 servings
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
In order to save time prepare the marinade first, slice the chicken breast into 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) pieces and add it to the marinade for about 15 minutes. In the meantime prepare the rest.
Marinade
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp corn starch
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Sauce
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp Oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp Tamarind sauce or a mix in equal parts of lime juice and brown sugar
- 4 tsp Palm sugar or brown sugar
- 1 tsp corn starch
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
Chicken
- 1 lb (450 g) chicken breasts, sliced into 1/2 inch (1,2 cm) pieces
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, sliced into strips
- 5 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 medium red pepper, deseeded and sliced
- 1 medium green pepper, deseeded and sliced
- 1/2 cup (60 g) roasted cashews
- red pepper flakes to taste
- 4 scallions, sliced into 1 inch (2,5 cm) long pieces
Jasmine Rice
- 1 3/4 cups (360 g) white rice, prepare as per package instructions
Preparation:
Mix all ingredients of the marinade in a bowl, add the chicken pieces and let it sit for 15 minutes.
Prepare the sauce by mixing water with cornstarch in a bowl until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and set aside until ready to use.
Prepare the Jasmine rice as per package instructions.
Slice onions, red and green peppers and scallions and mince garlic. Set aside. Have roasted cashews and red pepper flakes ready.
Remove chicken from the marinade and pat it dry lightly. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the wok or frying pan. Heat it over high heat until it begins to sizzle. Add chicken and stir fry until pieces are cooked through about 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer pieces to a plate and keep it warm.
Add the remaining tablespoon oil to the wok. Stir fry onion, garlic and peppers for about 5 minutes. Add the roasted cashews and red pepper flakes to the onion mix. Return chicken to the wok, add sauce and stir it until all is well coated with the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit of water. Taste for salt and pepper if needed.
Last but not least, add the chopped scallions and serve with the steamy Jasmine rice.
