Fried chicken with cashew nuts – Gai Pad Mamuang

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 150 g cashew nuts, raw and unsalted
• 500 g chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 3 tbsp oil
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 chili peppers, fresh red, pitted and cut into fine strips
• 5 spring onions, Thai, in 3 cm long pieces, alternatively 2-3 European
• 2 m.-sized onion(s), cut into fine wedges
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• Pepper, black, medium coarse ground
• 2 stalks basil, Horapha (Thai basil), roughly chopped
• 2 sprigs of mint, roughly chopped
• 1 red bell pepper(s), cut into thin strips

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

a fairly mild aromatic dish from Thailand

Roast the chilies and cashews in a little oil over medium heat in a wok until the kernels are golden brown, then remove from the pan. Be careful! The kernels will quickly become too dark and will taste bitter. Heat the remaining oil and fry the chicken in it. Then briefly fry the onions with the garlic (and the bell peppers). The vegetables should still have some bite. Deglaze with a splash of water, season with fish and oyster sauce, pepper, and sugar, and cook once. Mix in the chili-cashew mixture with the herbs. Arrange everything on a platter and garnish with a few mint leaves. Serve with Thai fragrant rice, cooked without salt. Tip: Roasted cashews that are not salted have recently become available in stores. They are a quick alternative. In this case, first fry the chili strips and then briefly roast the cashews. The classic recipe is without bell peppers; I find it fresher and better with them.