A home cook has recreated a Thai restaurant favorite with a recipe for spicy cashew chicken that combines a soy-fish sauce marinade, peanut butter, and unsalted cashews. The dish, which serves four, is served over jasmine rice and takes about 45 minutes to cook after a two-hour marinade.
The recipe calls for skinless, boneless chicken breast halves cut into thin strips and marinated in a resealable plastic bag with soy sauce, fish sauce, hot pepper sauce, minced garlic, and minced fresh ginger root. The chicken rests in the refrigerator for at least two hours before cooking.
While the chicken marinates, jasmine rice is prepared by bringing one cup of dry rice and two cups of water to a boil, then reducing the heat, covering, and simmering for 20 minutes. For the main dish, sesame oil is heated in a large skillet over medium heat, and brown sugar is stirred in until dissolved. Sliced onion is added and cooked for about five minutes until tender.
The marinated chicken is then placed in the skillet—reserving the marinade—and cooked for about 10 minutes until browned. The reserved marinade and 3/4 cup water are stirred in and brought to a boil, then cooked and stirred for another 10 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Creamy peanut butter is thoroughly blended in before serving.
The finished dish is served over the jasmine rice with a sprinkling of cashews. According to the provided nutrition facts, each serving contains 669 calories, 28 grams of fat, 69 grams of carbohydrates, and 37 grams of protein.
The recipe notes that it was created after the author fell in love with a similar dish at a Thai restaurant. Prep time is listed as 15 minutes, cook time as 45 minutes, and total time as 180 minutes, which includes the two-hour marinade.
Editorial Notes