Tamarind Soy Chicken with Cashews

Richly flavored and aromatic from the Thai basil, this salty-sweet stir-fry will become one of your favorites. The sweet-n-sour tamarind pod hangs from large trees in Thailand, each fruit is filled with the gooey pulp that’s mixed with water and strained creating the pulp that entices cultures around the world. You can decide how spicy you like it. Since each chili’s heat varies I always nibble on the bit of the seed filled end to check the chili’s spice before I decide on how many will fit my mood.

Serves 4
 Preparation time: 10 mins + marinating time
 Cooking time: 5 mins

2 boneless chicken breasts or 4 deboned thighs (about 12 oz/350 g) cut into bite-sized strips

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon Thai palm sugar or light brown sugar

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced ginger

2–6 Thai chilies, minced

2 tablespoons oil (divided use)

2 cups (160 g) Chinese broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup (120 g) sliced red onions

1 tablespoon Tamarind Pulp or concentrate (page 25)

1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce

1 cup (30 g) Thai basil leaves

½ cup (75 g) roasted or fried cashews

1 Toss the chicken with the oyster sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, chilies, and 1 tablespoon of the oil, then marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate for longer. Marinating overnight tenderizes the chicken.

2 Get organized to stir-fry by bringing the chicken to room temperature and organizing all the items in the order that they will go in the pan, this allows you to add things quickly! (See Stir-frying 101 on page 30.)

3 Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat. Swirl the remaining tablespoon of oil in the skillet to coat the entire surface, and keep heating the skillet until it is very hot and the oil begins to smoke.

4 Stir-fry the marinated chicken until 50% cooked, about 2-3 minutes. Add the broccoli and onions and stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the tamarind and soy sauce. Cook until the chicken and vegetables are coated and cooked through. Stir in the basil leaves and remove from the heat.

5 Taste and adjust the seasoning with tamarind, sweet soy, or oyster sauce as desired.

6 Spoon onto a serving platter and garnish with the cashews.

 

Grilled Lemongrass Chicken

The rural roads of the northeast Issan region of Thailand are filled with smoky grills packed with Grilled Lemongrass Chicken. This recipe will let you recreate this traditional dish on your grill at home. Always served with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce (Nahm Jim Gai) (page 35) for dipping, it’s no wonder Thais love to feast on this street food.

Serves 4–6
 Preparation time: 10 mins + marinating time
 Cooking time: 20 mins

2 stalks lemongrass, tender inner part of bottom third only, very thinly sliced

2 teaspoons minced coriander stems (cilantro stems)

2–4 Thai chilies

1 tablespoon coarsely ground white peppercorns

3 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons Thai palm sugar or light brown sugar

6–8 chicken thighs or 3-4 legs, (bone-in) scored lightly with a knife to allow the marinade in

2 small cucumbers, cut into wedges

½ cup (125 ml) Thai Sweet Chili Sauce (page 35)

1 Make a coarse paste with the lemongrass, coriander stems, chilies, and peppercorns using a mortar and pestle or a mini-food processor.

2 Mix in the fish sauce and palm sugar until the sugar dissolves.

3 Coat the chicken with this spice paste and then marinate, refrigerate for at least one hour. Marinating chicken overnight always improves the flavor and tenderization.

4 Preheat the grill to medium-low heat. Slowly grill the chicken, turning often until cooked through and golden brown all over. Alternatively you can rotisserie, bake, or broil this chicken until cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C).

5 Serve with wedges of cucumber to snack on and a bowl of Thai Sweet Chili Sauce for dipping.