Chicken thigh - 500 gms, boneless & skinless, cut into small bite-sized pieces
Raw cashew - 1 & ¼ cup
Thai basil leaves - a handful
Garlic - 10 to 12 cloves, finely chopped
Onion - 2, medium, thinly sliced
Bell peppers of assorted colors - ½ of each, cut into 1-inch chunks
Spring onion greens - 1 cup, cut into 1-inch long strips
Dry red chilli - 5 to 6
Dark soy sauce - 2 tbsp
White vinegar - 1 tbsp
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Cornflour - 6 tbsp
Salt & black pepper to taste
Sunflower or canola oil for frying
Instructions
Take the chicken thigh pieces in a mixing bowl and start seasoning them. Add salt, black pepper and cornflour. Then using a spatula mix everything very well so that each chicken cube is coated well with seasoning and cornflour.
Now heat about 4 tablespoons of oil in a wok. Once the oil is hot, drop the coated chicken cubes one by one in a single layer. Do not overcrowd the pan.
Fry the chicken cubes for 8 to 10 minutes on medium heat until they turn golden brown on both sides. Take them out using a slotted spoon to let excess oil drop off. Keep them on a plate covered with absorbent kitchen paper. Fry all the chicken cubes in batches and set them aside while you make the sauce.
Now make the stir fry sauce by mixing dark soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and ¼ cup of water. Mix everything very well. Set it aside.
Prepare a cornflour slurry by thoroughly mixing the cornflour with ¼ cup of water. Set it aside.
Now heat about 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok and once the oil is hot, add minced garlic and fry for a few seconds on medium low heat. Make sure garlic doesn't burn.
Next add the sliced onion and fry them for 4 to 5 minutes on medium flame until they turn translucent.
Add the raw cashew nuts now and stir fry them on medium high for about 5 to 6 minutes until the cashews turn slightly golden.
Next add the bell peppers and keep stir frying on medium high for a couple of minutes.
Add dried red chillies and green parts of green onion and continue stir frying for 5 minutes on medium heat.
Once all the veggies are sauteed well, add the fried chicken cubes along with the juice accumulated in the bowl. Give a quick mix.
Now pour the prepared stir fry sauce into the wok and continue stir frying so that sauce is mixed well with all the ingredients, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Next add the cornflour slurry and keep stirring. The sauce will start to thicken and cling to all the ingredients.
At this point, do a taste test and then add any additional salt if only needed. Dark soy is already very salty, so checking the seasoning is a must before adding any extra salt.
Finally drop the star ingredient of the recipe which is fresh Thai basil leaves. Give a final stir. Thai basil leaves will be wilted once it comes in contact with heat and will release all its flavor.
Your Thai cashew chicken stir fry is ready to serve as a starter before main course or a quick party snack. Enjoy!
Recipe by Flavor Quotient at http://www.flavorquotient.com/2023/06/thai-cashew-chicken-stir-fry/