Cashew Chicken Recipe with Crunchy Asparagus and Chilli
This easy cashew chicken recipe with crunchy asparagus and chilli makes a classic Cantonese-style stir-fried chicken with cashews with a couple of tweaks to accommodate those of us who prefer more crunchy and spice. The beauty of the dish is that if you’re not a fan of fiery flavours, you can skip the chillies and enjoy the dish as it’s meant to be eaten – but offer those who can handle the heat that option. Serve with steamed rice and more spring onions.
Servings: 4
Calories:
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp corn flour
- 1 tbsp cold water
- 1 pinch salt optional
Stir-Fry
- 600 g chicken thigh fillets sliced into roughly 2cm wide pieces
- 12 asparagus spears trimmed, cut into quarters
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 cup unsalted roasted cashews
- 4 garlic cloves finely diced
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 1 cup spring onions finely sliced
- 1 bird’s eye chilli sliced, optional
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: to a large bowl, add the chicken thigh pieces and marinade ingredients, and stir to combine well so the chicken pieces are fully coated in the marinade and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Stir-fry the chicken in two batches: to a hot wok, add the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and heat until shimmering, then add half the marinated chicken and stir-fry for a couple of minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken pieces from the wok and transfer them to a bowl, then add remaining chicken, stir-fry for 2 minutes, then transfer them to the same bowl.
- Reduce the heat to medium and to the same wok add the other 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, heat until shimmering, add the cashews and garlic and stir-fry for a minute, stirring constantly to ensure the garlic doesn’t burn.
- To the same wok, return the chicken pieces, increase the heat to high again, add the Shaoxing and harder asparagus pieces and stir-fry for a minute or two, add the softer asparagus tips, and stir-fry for another minute or two.
- Transfer the stir-fried chicken and asparagus to a serving plate, garnish with sliced spring onions and optional chilli slices, and serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice or fried rice.
Notes
To serve: more spring onions, chilli oil, steamed jasmine rice