Stir fried Thai cashew chicken gluten free recipe is perfect for a weeknight meal. The nuttiness of the cashew infused with veggies and chicken. Dairy free too.
Since we started traveling we have been trying to eat less meat, focusing more on vegetarian or vegan friendly meals. Yes this can be difficult while traveling through Asia and no we haven’t given up meat/animal products entirely but we do make a conscious effort to eat less and opt for veggie friendly meals. Without even keeping tracking I’m pretty sure I went over 2 months without eating beef, and that was without even trying to avoid it.
We have met so many travelers who flip through restaurant menus avidly searching for the red meat section while I can happily order a tofu or vegetable noodle dish for dinner and be satisfied.
On another note while traveling through some of the Asian countries where it regularlyย gets as hot as 100 degrees and the meat in the markets can be seen just laying out without any kind of ice or refrigeration, I’m not exactly enthused about ordering this meat for dinner. For some reason I’ve gotten it into my head that my Western raised and fed body can only handle animal products that have been refrigerated or frozen. Is this really the case? Who knows? Somehow though I just start to imagine bouts of food poisoning when I see that meat lying out all day collecting dust and attracting flies (among other insects).
So usually on thoseย occasionsย when we choose to eat animal products it’s usually chicken. Somehow chicken seems like a safe option and is healthier than red meat.
And so today’s recipe bring you a Thai cashew chicken recipe. I made a chicken with cashew nutsย at a cooking school in China, and now again in Bangkok, but this one is slightly different, with a Thai flair to it.
Simple, to the point, and delicious.
On another note – Happy Women’s Day to all the lovely ladies out there!
Let me know what you think of this Thai cashew chicken in the comments below!
A cashew chicken stir fry with a Thai flair - perfect for a weeknight meal. Make this Thai cashew chicken for dinner tonight!
- 1/4 cup sliced chicken substitute with tofu for vegan or vegetarian version
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 1/4 cup cashew nuts
- 4 leaves jelly mushrooms thinly sliced
- 2 dried red chilies cut into 1 inch segments
- 1/2 large onion thinly sliced
- 2-3 baby corn cut in half on the diagonal
- 1/4 cup spring onion
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce substitute soy sauce for vegan or vegetarian version
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce substitute mushroom sauce for vegan or vegetarian version
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
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In a small bowl combine cornstarch with water and mix until smooth.
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Heat wok over medium heat and add oil. Cook garlic and dried red chilies until aromatic.
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Add chicken and cook until partially cooked through. Add mushroom, onion, and baby corn and cook until chicken cooked through.
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Add oyster sauce, fish sauce and sugar. Stir constantly until smooth.
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Add spring onion and cashews. Cook 1 minute.
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Add cornstarch mixture and mix.
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Keep cooking until sauce is reduced and thickened.
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Serve over rice.
Recipe Adapted from Silom Thai Cooking Schoolย
Bree {Skinny Mommy} says
This looks delicious–and so authentic too!
Vicky says
Thanks! So good!
Cel says
thanks for the vegan subs! itd be interesting to see your veg eats in each country!
Vicky says
No problem! Most of the time when we travel we try to eat vegetarian, opting for veggie noodles dishes or tofu instead of meat, but sometimes it isn’t an option and we’re okay with eating chicken or seafood but generally stay away from red meat. In many of the Asian countries there are vegetarian alternatives though it does require some extra communication and knowledge about what goes into the sauces/brothes/curry paste (ex. fish sauce, shrimp paste, etc).
Nancy says
Love it! It looks so delicious and tasty.