Thai Chicken with Basil and Cashews

05. December 2006 Chicken 0

I’m on a Thai and Indian kick lately so I’ve also been craving spicy and hearty stews. But I didn’t want to spend too much time cooking last night–I just wanted to eat. Something quick for dinner to me means stopping by the Asia Food Market around the corner from the office and buying fragrant Thai basil leaves and lemongrass. Chicken is usually my fallback when I just want to eat from a big rice bowl in front of the TV and I ended up doing just that after putting this together, quickly and painlessly. I made a big batch so guess what I’m having for lunch?

Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken thighs, cut in small pieces
1 bunch of Thai basil leaves
a handful of cashews
1 small knob of ginger, peeled, sliced thinly
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 lemongrass stalk, crushed, chopped
1 bunch of cilantro stalks, finely chopped
2 red chilis
juice from 1 lime
2 tbsps palm sugar
2 tbsps fish sauce
oil

1. In a large bowl, mix the chicken with the ginger, garlic, lemongrass, cilantro and chilis.
2. In a large skillet, heat some oil and lightly toast the cashews. Remove to a plate and drain with a paper towel.
3. Add more oil to the skillet and cook the chicken in batches, stir-frying until they’re cooked and lightly browned.
4. Stir in the basil leaves with the lime juice, sugar and fish sauce until the leaves wilt. Toss in the cashews and simmer until the liquid thickens a bit.

Related post/s:
Another Thai-inspired dish