Thai Cashew Nut Stir Fry with Chicken and Tofu Options

It is a wok dish that combines cashews, vegetables and a protein such as chicken in a savoury sauce. Roasted or fried nuts contribute much of the crunch. T1 T2 E1

The full Thai name is ไก่ผัดเม็ดมะม่วงหิมพานต์, often romanised as gai pad med mamuang himmaphan. Gai means chicken and pad refers to stir-frying. T1 E1

It refers to a cashew nut stir-fry. Menus can use the shorter name for a dish offered with several proteins. Charm Thai Cafe uses it for its cashew nut stir-fry.

The name refers to cashew nuts in this dish. The chicken recipes here use cashews without mango flesh. T1 T2 E1

Thai cooks including Pailin Chongchitnant describe it as having Chinese roots and a Thai adaptation. The sources used here give no documented inventor or precise date. E1

There is overlap in ingredients. Compare specific recipes. Thai versions here use ingredients such as roasted chilli paste or fried dried chillies, while some Chinese-style recipes use a thicker sauce. E1 E2 E3

Expect a savoury sauce, some sweetness and the rich taste of toasted cashews. The heat depends on the chillies and roasted chilli paste in the recipe. T1 E1

It uses roasted chilli paste plus one red and one green chilli. The heat varies with the products and fresh chillies you buy. T1

Use mild fresh chillies or sweet pepper in a home adaptation. Taste your roasted chilli paste before deciding how much extra heat to add. T1 E1

Phol Tantasathien adds granulated sugar to balance the soy and oyster sauces. Roasted chilli paste can bring sweetness of its own, depending on the brand. T1 E1

Both styles exist. The recipe below cooks uncoated breast in the wok. KRUA.CO coats and fries thigh pieces before tossing them with the other ingredients. T1 T2

Aim for a coating in the home recipe below. Use its measured water and let the sauce settle around the chicken and vegetables. Other recipes may be saucier. T1 E2

Buy plain unsalted cashews. Raw nuts suit the measured oven step below. Unsalted pre-roasted nuts can be added near the end without repeating the full roast. T1 E1

Unsalted is easier to season. If you use salted nuts in a home adaptation, taste the finished sauce before adding further seasoning. T1 E1

Phol’s version uses sliced onion, red and green chillies and spring onion. Some other versions use diced sweet peppers. T1 T3 E1

It is Thai roasted chilli paste, sometimes sold as Thai chilli jam. Check the label, since sweetness, heat and ingredients vary between products. T1 E1 U4

Phol uses light soy sauce. Charm Thai Cafe describes dark soy sauce in its own preparation. Follow the seasoning for the version you choose. T1

It provides savoury depth and body. Ordinary oyster sauce is made with oysters. Use a suitably labelled plant-based stir-fry sauce when adapting the dish for vegans. T1 E1 U5

Yes. Keep an eye on small pieces while roasting. They have less bulk and can colour sooner than whole nuts. T1 E1

Yes. Let them cool and keep them dry in a closed container until you cook. Add them during the final toss. T1 E1

Cut even, bite-sized pieces so they finish at about the same time. Check thorough cooking in the thickest piece. T1 U1

Bruise the cloves before frying them in the oil for Phol’s version. Other recipes chop the garlic, which changes how it disperses in the wok. T1 E1

A neutral cooking oil such as rapeseed works as a home adaptation. The original recipe uses rice bran oil. T1 E1

Yes, choose a recipe designed for them. Phol’s main chicken recipe uses fresh red and green chillies. Eating Thai Food separately fries dried chillies. T1 E3

A wok makes it easy to toss everything. A wide frying pan is practical too, provided the pieces have enough room to cook evenly. T1 E1

Once the garlic and chicken go in, the sauce and vegetables follow quickly. Have the water, seasonings and cut vegetables ready beside the hob. T1 E3

Phol’s main recipe cooks breast pieces directly in the wok. For coated fried thighs, use the separate KRUA.CO method. T1 T2

Add the toasted cashews once the chicken is cooked, with the onion and sliced chillies. A brief final toss coats the nuts while preserving their crunch. T1

Add it as a garnish at serving in the main recipe. Pailin’s version tosses it in towards the end. T1 E1

Probe the thickest piece with a clean food thermometer. One FSA time and temperature combination is 75°C held for 30 seconds. U1

Yes. Pailin Chongchitnant’s recipe uses boneless thighs, and KRUA.CO fries coated thigh pieces. Keep pieces similar in size and cook them thoroughly. E1 T2 U1

Use firm tofu, pat it dry and brown it before tossing it with the vegetables and sauce. Choose the sauce for the dietary needs of the people eating. U5

Use tofu or vegetables, plus plant-based alternatives to oyster or fish sauce where used. Read the roasted chilli paste label for seafood ingredients. Cashews stay in the dish. T1 E1 U5

Yes. Phol publishes a separate prawn version with coated prawns and a tamarind and ketchup sauce. Its ingredients and method differ from the breast recipe below. T4

Phol’s separate spicy recipe fries the chicken and adds fried garlic and shallots, with a different chilli seasoning. T3

Yes. A mushroom version can be an adaptation. Stir-fry them in a roomy pan so released liquid has space to evaporate before adding the sauce.

Yes. Cashews are a tree nut and an ingredient in the dish. This applies to the chicken, tofu and vegetable versions described here. T1 U5

They are separate categories in UK allergen guidance. Tell the restaurant exactly which allergy you have before ordering. U5

No. Cashews have already touched the food and sauce. Choose a different dish only after discussing ingredients and cross-contact with the kitchen. U5

It depends on the complete recipe. Check soy sauce, oyster sauce, chilli paste and any coatings. At Charm Thai Cafe, ask us to check the sauce and preparation before ordering. T1 T2 U4

Read oyster sauce and roasted chilli paste labels. Oyster is a mollusc, shrimp is a crustacean, and fish sauce is a separate ingredient in some recipes. T1 E1 U5

The vegan cashew dish still contains cashews. Tell us separately about an allergy. Our shared kitchen handles nuts and other allergens, and we cannot guarantee freedom from cross-contact. U5

Plain jasmine rice is a good accompaniment for the savoury sauce. Charm Thai Cafe serves its cashew nut stir-fry with jasmine rice. E2

Yes, as a serving choice. Put the stir-fry over plain noodles or serve the noodles separately so you can adjust the seasoning at the table.

Cashews and the sauce are central here. Pad Kra Pao takes its name from holy basil. See the Thai food guide to compare the dishes. T1 E1

Oyster sauce can be an ingredient in both. This guide focuses on cashews and their texture. The Pad Nam Man Hoy guide explains a dish built around oyster sauce. T1

Try steamed greens or sliced cucumber if you want a plain side with a hot or salty batch. Serve the cashew stir-fry as soon as the nuts are tossed through. T1 E2

You can reserve a few of the toasted nuts as a topping. Keep them separate until serving so they stay crisp. E1

They may have spent too long sitting in the sauce. Toast them separately and add them only for the final toss. T1 E1

An overcrowded pan can trap steam, and wet vegetables can add more water. Use the measured water and give the chicken and vegetables enough room. T1 E1

It may have browned too far before the chicken went in. Stir it briefly in the oil and add the chicken when the garlic smells fragrant. T1 E3

Uneven pieces or extra cooking after the chicken is done can dry out breast meat. Cut pieces evenly and keep the final toss brief once it is thoroughly cooked. T1 U1

Serve it with plain rice and skip extra salty garnishes. Next time, use unsalted cashews and taste the brands of soy and oyster sauce before adjusting the recipe. T1 E1

Cook it in batches if the pan would be crowded. Split the sauce and vegetables between batches and cook each batch of chicken thoroughly. E1 U1

There is no single figure. It depends on the protein, oil, nuts, sauce, portion size and any rice you serve with it.

Cool it in smaller portions, refrigerate within one to two hours and eat within 48 hours or freeze it. Store the rice separately and follow the shorter guidance for cooked rice. U2 U3

Yes. Cool it promptly, freeze it in portions and defrost it in the fridge. Use within 24 hours of fully defrosting. The cashews and vegetables may soften. U2

Reheat it once, until steaming hot throughout. If you use a microwave, stir or turn it to help avoid cold spots. U1

Cool it quickly, ideally within an hour. Refrigerate and use within 24 hours. Reheat it only once and make sure it is steaming hot throughout. U3

See the Doncaster cashew nut stir-fry page for ordering. Ask about protein choices, heat and any dietary requirements before ordering.