Cashew Chicken Recipe

When cooking with poultry, nothing beats a cashew chicken recipe. Cashews are meaty and tasty nuts, delicious in recipes, and especially in what has become a typical Chinese meal.

History of Cashews

Cashew nuts are native to the coastal regions of Brazil. These nuts are kidney-shaped seeds that cling to the bottom of the cashew apple, which is the fruit of the cashew tree.

In the 16th century, Portuguese explorers took cashew trees from Brazil and introduced them to other tropical regions. However, cashews did not become popular until the 20th century. Now, cashew trees are cultivated in India and some African countries. The leading commercial producers of cashews today are Brazil, India, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Nigeria.

Cashews have been popular in China for centuries. Salted and roasted cashews are sold in packaged form for cooking and for snacking.

Buying Cashews

Cashews for cooking can be found in prepackaged containers as well as bulk bins. If you purchase your cashews from a bin, make sure they are fresh. Cashews keep for about six months in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator and can be stored for one year in the freezer.

Ingredients for Cashew Chicken Recipe

• 3 chicken breast halves, boned and skinned
• 1/2 pound of Chinese pea pods
• 1/2 pound of fresh Chinese mushrooms, sliced
• 4 green onions, minced
• 2 cups of bamboo shoots, drained
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 cup of chicken broth or chicken stock
• 1/4 cup of soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 4 tablespoons of peanut oil
• 4 ounces of cashew nuts

Hot rice goes well with chicken and cashews.

Directions

1. Slice chicken breast into very thin slices and cut them into squares.
2. Place on a plate and set aside.
3. Slice the vegetables.
4. Add them to the plate with chicken.
5. Mix soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, and salt.
6. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in skillet over medium heat.
7. Stir in the cashews.
8. Fry for a minute.
9. Shake the pan as you fry so that the nuts are lightly toasted.
10. Place nuts on a plate.
11. Add more oil to pan.
12. Stir fry chicken until it looks clear.
13. Reduce heat to low.
14. Add pea pods and mushrooms.
15. Slowly pour in the soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, salt mixture.
16. Add the broth.
17. Cover and cook until thickened, stirring often.
18. Simmer uncovered for two minutes.
19. Remove from heat.
20. Add green onions and nuts and serve immediately with steamed rice or use a recipe for Japanese rice.
21. Serves four.

Cashew Chicken with Broccoli

Another variation of this Chinese cashew dish is to make it with broccoli.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of skinless boneless chicken breast, cubed
• 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon of grated, peeled ginger root
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 3 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed and peeled
• 1 cup of broccoli flowerets
• 1 cup of whole cashews, toasted
• 1 teaspoon of sesame seed oil

Directions

1. Place the cubed chicken in a bowl.
2. Mix the cornstarch and ginger root.
3. Set aside.
4. Combine the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl.
5. Stir until smooth.
6. Set aside.
7. Pour the oil into a wok or pan and place the pan over high heat.
8. Add the garlic.
9. Stir it quickly and do not let it burn.
10. Add the chicken mixture to the hot oil.
11. Continue stirring until the chicken is almost done, about three minutes.
12. Remove and discard the garlic.
13. Reduce the heat to medium.
14. Stir in the soy sauce mixture.
15. Blend the ingredients well.
16. Add the cornstarch and ginger root mixture.
17. Coat the chicken.
18. Add the broccoli flowerets.
19. Stir well.
20. Add the cashew nuts and stir another 30 seconds.
21. Drizzle with sesame seed oil.
22. Serve immediately with hot rice.

Other Recipes with Cashews

Now that you know how to make a cashew chicken recipe, search for other recipes that include cashews as one of their main ingredients. Shrimp and cashews are delicious as well as beef with cashews. .

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