Cashew Chicken in a Sola Wok
The First Wok-Cooked Meal in My Sola Challenge
Though I’ve never been to Thailand, I am totally sold on Thai cooking. I’ve always enjoyed eating Thai food, but the challenge of cooking it only goes back about five years when a friend returned from a holiday in Thailand and shared her experiences gained in a traditional Thai cooking course, together with some fantastic recipes.
I almost always use a recipe when cooking – and almost always don’t stick to it. This recipe is no exception, but it is based on a traditional Asian recipe.
I have cooked Cashew Chicken many times, and always in a wok. But the Sola wok, challenged Willem Huisamen, isn’t just any wok. So what better way to test this assumption than to cook something I know well?
Ingredients for about 6 people
- 500g (about 1 lb) raw chicken breast off the bone, sliced into strips
- 2 tbsp coconut oil (or any other vegetable oil you prefer cooking with)
- 2 large (more if they aren’t large) cloves of garlic, chopped
- 2 or more dried red chillies, chopped (I dry my own)
- 1 large red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (preferably naturally brewed Tamari)
- 1 tsp brown sugar (optional)
- 4-6 spring onions, coarsely chopped
- 175 g (about 6 oz) raw cashew nuts
- Coriander leaves (also known as cilantro and dhania) to garnish (optional)
How to Make Your Cashew Chicken
The nuts and spring onions are the last ingredients to add to the Cashew Chicken. I like to use raw cashew nuts and let them cook in the sauces for a short while. If you prefer you can use roasted cashews and simply sprinkle them on top with the spring onions and coriander as a triple garnish.
Serve hot with a mixed salad on the side. You could also serve with coconut rice, or even noodles.
Okay, so I agree wholeheartedly that the Sola wok isn’t just any wok!
