Fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts is one of the best Chinese ‘fakeaway’ dishes I’ve ever made. It’s got all the glorious umami flavours you expect from a takeaway and it’s just so simple to make.
This simple recipe for Fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts is one that is easy to recognise from Chinese restaurants and takeaway menus, and it’s popular with all the family.
Chinese food eaten in restaurants is often very different from the dishes prepared and served by the Chinese themselves. This is because the Asian communities that have settled in so-called ‘China Towns’ around the world,
These communities have mastered the art of adapting their cuisine to suit local tastes. Other Asian dishes from Vietnam or Thailand may influence the Chinese cuisine in a community.
What ingredients do I need to make Fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts?
- Chicken
- Garlic
- Onion
- Cornflour (corn starch)
- Cashew Nuts
- Soy Sauce
- Thai Basil (optional)
- groundnut oil (or other vegetable oil)
- Cashew Nuts
What kind of chicken should I use?
Use chicken breast for this recipe, it works best because it cooks quickly and stays tender.
What is cornflour?
Cornflour is a fine powder made by grinding dried corn kernels (maize). I use it to thicken sauces and in baking. Cornflour is known in the US as Corn starch.
What are Cashew Nuts?
Cashews are native to Brazil and grow on trees but they are not true nuts. Cashews are seeds and they grow on the bottom of cashew fruit, which are known as Cashew apples.
What is soy sauce?
Naturally brewed soy sauce is made using only four basic ingredients: fermented soybeans and wheat with salt and water. Soy sauce is a complex combination of flavours with salt, sweet, bitter and the savoury umami all coming together to create this classic Asian ingredient.
Choose the best quality soy sauce you can afford, it is often cheaper to buy it at a Chinese supermarket.
What is Thai Basil?
Thai basil is a tender plant with small, narrow leaves, purple stems. It is slightly spicy with a flavour of liquorice or aniseed.
There isn’t a true substitute for Thai Basil but some people suggest you use Sweet Basil leaves combined with a few leaves of mint. You can buy a Thai Basil paste or dried Thai Basil.
What is velveting and why should I do it?
Velveting is a Chinese method of marinating which keeps delicate meat and seafood moist and tender during cooking. The velveting technique is very easy and gives amazing results.
Simply coat strips of chicken, turkey, pork, beef, (or scallops, prawns etc) in a mixture of egg white, cornflour, sesame oil and salt before deep-frying in hot oil or poaching in simmering water.
The coating creates a protective barrier which seals in the moisture and also helps prevent the food from overcooking and becoming tough
How to make the Fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts
Follow the step by step instructions to make this simple and delicious reicpe.
Prepare the onion, garlic, and chicken
- Peel and chop the onion and garlic.
- Cut the chicken into small pieces.
Marinate the chicken
- Mix the chicken, garlic, onion, cornflour (cornstarch), and soy sauce together, then leave to marinate at room temperature for 2 hours. This is the velveting process.
- Rinse the Thai Basil and strip the leaves from the stems.
Toast the cashew nuts
Heat the oil in the pan and toast the cashew nuts for a few minutes to intensify the flavour and make them nice and crisp.
Add the chicken mixture to the pan
- Add the chicken with the onions, garlic and marinade to the pan.
- Stir fry for about 10 minutes.
- Add the Thai Basil when the chicken is cooked, then turn off the heat.
How do I serve Fried Chicken with Cashew nuts?
Serve with plain boiled rice or with Plain Egg Fried Rice. You can serve some stir-fry vegetables such as stir-fried Spring Greens or Easy Stir Fry Broccoli on the side.
This is such a simple recipe, but the flavour was really close to what you would eat at in a Chinese restaurant and the chicken is super tender and tasty.
A simple One-Pan Meal
Fried Chicken and Cashew Nuts is also the perfect one-pan meal. I first made this recipe when I was having my kitchen floor replaced. I cooked the chicken on a single electric ring in the back kitchen (utility room) to the sound of sawing and hammering. It is ideal served with microwavable rice for a speedy supper.
More Asian Recipes from Farmersgirl Kitchen
Fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts
Ingredients
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 onion
- 4 chicken breasts
- 2 tsp cornflour cornstarch
- 6 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 bunch Thai basil
- 2 tbsp groundnut peanut oil
- 150 g cashew nuts
Instructions
- Peel and chop the garlic and onion, then cut the chicken into small pieces.
- In a bowl, mix the chicken, garlic, onion, cornflour (cornstarch) and soy sauce together, then leave to marinate at room temperature for 2 hours.
- Strip, rinse and dry the basil.
- About 20 minutes before serving, heat the oil in a large wok over a high heat.
- Add the cashews and stir-fry for a few minutes then add the chicken and marinade and cook for 10 minutes.
- Once the chicken is cooked, add the basil leaves, stir and turn off the heat.
- Serve immediately with fragrant rice.
Foodjam UK says
This looks delicious Janice. Will definitely give this a go. As ever your cook book review was great and made me want to buy the book! 🙂
Janice Pattie says
Thank you so much for your lovely comment, it makes it all worthwhile 🙂
Camilla Hawkins says
That chicken dish would go down really well here, shame the book didn't live up to expectations!
Janice Pattie says
It went down well here. The book was just too unweildy for me Camilla, but the recipes are good.
Charlene Flash says
Looks delish to me, would love to eat this for my dinner x
Janice Pattie says
Thanks Charlene
Anne Szadorska says
The book sounds fascinating and your dish has a lovely glisten to it! We have been recently ordering a similar dish in our local Chinese, would be good to recreate at home!
Janice Pattie says
Thanks Anne, it really does taste like a take-away and really not difficult to make at all.
Karen S Booth says
It looks good to me Janice and we've been on a REAL Asian food kick lately, so I may get this book! Karen
Janice Pattie says
I couldn't believe how authentically Chinese Restaurant it tasted, Karen. Easy to make too.
belleau kitchen says
love the sound of this book. I do LOVE your book reviews. The chicken and cashews are such a classic and I used to eat them in the bucket load back in my youth but it's been a while and they never looked as good as yours… its funny how Chinese food seems to have taken a bit of a back seat in asian food recently but it's well worth a revival!
Janice Pattie says
Thanks Dom X You are right about the Chinese food and there are so many great dishes to make, these recipes are really accessible so no excuse for not making more!
Corina says
I would love to get my hands on a copy of this book. It sounds fascinating. I love Chinese food and have been to China too where the food was so different in different regions and so varied too.
Janice Pattie says
There is certainly plenty of variety in this book, Corina.
Heidi Roberts says
It's amazing how a really simple recipe can taste so good! This will be one of your repertoire now!
Janice Pattie says
You are right Heidi, definitely going to make this again
Jane Sarchet says
A lovely review, a very tasty looking dish and I'm hoping for an invite when you cook up that incredible sounding list of dishes Janice 🙂
Janie x
Janice Pattie says
Thanks Janie, you will be first on the invite list!
fiona maclean says
I don't know about the photo – it looks fine to me, just like real food! Delicious
Janice Pattie says
Thanks Fiona, it is real food and tasted great!
Mrs M says
I don't know what you mean about the photo – this looks AMAZING! Have just included it in a Blog Love round-up on my blog. Will definitely be trying this! http://www.athomewithmrsm.com/2015/09/blog-love.html
Carole from Carole's Chatter says
This looks lovely Janice
Janice Pattie says
Thanks Carole, it was super-tasty!