Thai Green Curry Chicken Stir-Fry with Cashews is a mouthful. It’s a curry, and a stir-fry. That doesn’t mean it’s twice as much work. But it does mean it’s twice as delicious.
The dish has the flavor and appearance of a dry curry, but is cooked as a stir-fry. It’s perfect to make with a spoonful of Thai Green Curry Powder and a little leftover coconut milk.
If you’re cooking a lot of Southeast Asian dishes at home, your refrigerator will always have a few tablespoons of leftover coconut milk in a small plastic container in the back somewhere. The result of the can of coconut milk never matching the quantity of your recipe.
That reminds me of an important lesson in Asian cooking, and one that my mom always taught me back in Malaysia. Always think ahead to the next meal. There will always be leftover ingredients that will spoil if they’re not cooked up within the next couple of days. So if you’re making rice and a few dishes for dinner, plan on fried rice the following day. If you’re cooking up a coconut curry one night, plan on a stir-fry for lunch. This Thai Green Curry Chicken Stir-Fry with Cashews will take care of that little bit of leftover coconut milk and any other meat or veggies you prepared the night before.
This dry style curry is a quick prep meal for a tasty weeknight dinner.
Just mix Thai Green Curry Powder with water and oil, to make a thick paste. Stir-fry the paste with a mix of veggies on hand. Try french beans, cauliflower, and/or shredded zucchini. Or green bell pepper and snow peas as I’ve done here.
Then add in the chicken and leftover coconut milk, along with sugar and fish sauce (or a sprinkling of our new Thai Ginger-Lime Sea Salt). When it’s cooked down to a thick paste, squeeze in some lime juice and stir in cashews. Finally, garnish with fresh cilantro.
Serve over steamed Jasmine rice or brown rice, and enjoy!
Thai Green Curry Chicken Stir-Fry with Cashews
Serve 3-4
Ingredients:
2 pieces (about 14 oz) chicken breasts – cut into thin strips
1.5 tbsp Thai Green Curry Powder
3 tbsp water
2 tbsp peanut oil – divided
1 small yellow onion – sliced
1 small green bell pepper – sliced thinly
A handful of snow peas or sugar snap peas
2 tsp fish sauce, or to taste (or season with our Thai Ginger-Lime Sea Salt)
2 tsp sugar, or to taste
3-4 tbsp coconut milk
Generous squeezes of lime juice
A handful of cashews
Cilantro leaves, to garnish
Method:
1. In a small bowl, mix Thai Green Curry Powder with 3 tbsp water & 1 tbsp oil, to form a paste.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or frying pan over medium heat. When the wok is hot, stir in the green curry paste and stir fry over medium-low heat for about 15-20 seconds, or until aromatic.
3. Add in all the vegetables and increase the heat to high. Stir and toss frequently, and add in 1-2 tablespoons of water if the mixture gets to dry. Cook until the vegetables are just beginning to turn tender-crisp – about a minute. Add in the chicken, sugar, and fish sauce/salt. Toss and stir everything together. When the chicken is half cooked, add in the coconut milk and continue to stir-fry over high heat until chicken is fully cooked. Taste, and adjust any seasonings if desired. Coconut milk should be cooked down to a thick sauce that coats the meat and vegetables. If you like the mixture to be lighter and more saucy, you can add one or two tablespoon of water/broth and cook for just a moment longer to heat dish.
4. Squeeze in lime juice and stir in cashew nuts to combine. Dish out to your serving plate. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve immediately.
Notes:
1. Like any stir-fry, it's very useful to keep a small glass of water next to you while you’re cooking. Whenever the mixture gets too dry, just add in a tablespoon at a time.
Serve 3-4
Ingredients:
2 pieces (about 14 oz) chicken breasts – cut into thin strips
1.5 tbsp Thai Green Curry Powder
3 tbsp water
2 tbsp peanut oil – divided
1 small yellow onion – sliced
1 small green bell pepper – sliced thinly
A handful of snow peas or sugar snap peas
2 tsp fish sauce, or to taste (or season with our Thai Ginger-Lime Sea Salt)
2 tsp sugar, or to taste
3-4 tbsp coconut milk
Generous squeezes of lime juice
A handful of cashews
Cilantro leaves, to garnish
Method:
1. In a small bowl, mix Thai Green Curry Powder with 3 tbsp water & 1 tbsp oil, to form a paste.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or frying pan over medium heat. When the wok is hot, stir in the green curry paste and stir fry over medium-low heat for about 15-20 seconds, or until aromatic.
3. Add in all the vegetables and increase the heat to high. Stir and toss frequently, and add in 1-2 tablespoons of water if the mixture gets to dry. Cook until the vegetables are just beginning to turn tender-crisp – about a minute. Add in the chicken, sugar, and fish sauce/salt. Toss and stir everything together. When the chicken is half cooked, add in the coconut milk and continue to stir-fry over high heat until chicken is fully cooked. Taste, and adjust any seasonings if desired. Coconut milk should be cooked down to a thick sauce that coats the meat and vegetables. If you like the mixture to be lighter and more saucy, you can add one or two tablespoon of water/broth and cook for just a moment longer to heat dish.
4. Squeeze in lime juice and stir in cashew nuts to combine. Dish out to your serving plate. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve immediately.
Notes:
1. Like any stir-fry, it's very useful to keep a small glass of water next to you while you’re cooking. Whenever the mixture gets too dry, just add in a tablespoon at a time.
