Vietnamese Cashew Pineapple Chicken

I love this dish. It just looks summery and fresh and inviting. Serve it with rice, or if you’re sharing, add a hearty meaty dish with it.

 This recipe is originally from The Essential Asian Cookbook*, but adapted for serving two children and using a Thermomix® – but you can use a knife as most of the cooking is done in a wok. I do think all of this could be done in the Thermomix® to some extent. You could saute the cashews and coconut in the bowl, steam the chicken in the Varoma, and then combine all the ingredients at about 90C in the bowl before serving, but if I don’t have to and do have access to the wok, I’d do it that way.

Vietnamese Cashew Pineapple Chicken

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

A good stand alone, or perfect as part of a shared meal.

Author: Adapted by Luschka

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Vietnamese,Asian,

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 30g (2tbs) shredded coconut
• 80g (1/2 cup) raw cashews
• 30g (2tbs) oil
• 1 large onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 chopped red chillies (optional - I do it without)
• 350g chicken thigh fillets, diced
• 1 red pepper
• 1 green pepper
• 1 tbs fish sauce (nam plah)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 320g (2 cups) chopped pineapple (fresh is good, but tinned and drained is fine)
• 3 spring onions

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 150C (300F) and spread the coconut evenly onto a tray. Toast the coconut for 10 minutes until golden. Remove from the tray immediately to prevent burning and set aside.
2. Increase the heat to 180C (350F) and roast the cashews for 15 minutes until deep golden.
3. In a wok, pour the oil to heat up.
4. Drop the onion and garlic (and chillies if using) onto a running Thermomix® at speed 4, about 5 seconds.
5. Stir fry for 2 minutes, then remove from the pan.
6. Meanwhile, put the peppers into the Thermomix® and chop speed 4 about 10 seconds or until it's the size you want.
7. Add the chicken and the peppers to the wok, and cook until the chicken is light brown. Add the onion back in to the wok, then add the fish sauce, sugar and pineapple and heat through for about 2 minutes.
8. Blitz the spring onion on Turbo to chop.
9. Toss the cashews through the food in the wok, then serve and scatter the toasted coconut and spring onion over the top.
10. Serve with rice or Asian vegetables.

Regular Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 150C (300F) and spread the coconut evenly onto a tray. Toast the coconut for 10 minutes until golden. Remove from the tray immediately to prevent burning and set aside.
2. Increase the heat to 180C (350F) and roast the cashews for 15 minutes until deep golden.
3. In a wok, pour the oil to heat up.
4. Chop the onions, garlic and chillies. While you're at it, chop the peppers roughly and spring onions finely. Make sure the chicken is evenly diced.
5. Add the onion, garlic and chillies if using to the wok.
6. Stir fry for 2 minutes, then remove from the pan.
7. Add the chicken and the peppers to the wok, and cook until the chicken is light brown. Add the onion back in to the wok, then add the fish sauce, sugar and pineapple and heat through for about 2 minutes.
8. Toss the cashews through the food in the wok, then serve and scatter the toasted coconut and spring onion over the top.
9. Serve with rice or Asian vegetables.

Notes

serves 4
521 calories per serve (doesn't include rice)

Nutrition Information

Calories: 2082

3.2.2925