This scrumptious recipe was the birth of the glorious food blog 1234cook! One day as we were all sitting on the couch watching Star Wars, Number One decided to start annoying the rest of us to create a blog. She managed to reel us all in, wasting tons of money and getting us disturbingly excited about kitchen utensils. Admittedly, it’s probably a wiser investment than re-enacting The Hangover on a weekly basis.

Chicken with Thai Basil, Chili and Cashews

Serves 4

You’ll need
750g chicken breast cut into strips
2 stems lemongrass, white part only, finely chopped
3 small fresh red chillies, seeded and finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
2 tablespoons of oil
100g cashews
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons soft brown sugar
2 cups thai basil
2 teaspoons cornflour (THE GOO IS BACK) mixed with 1 tablespoon water
2 handfuls of mange tout
1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced into strips

1. Place the chicken in a large bowl with the lemongrass, garlic, ginger and chili. Mix well together.
2. Heat a wok over medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of oil. Add the cashews and cook for 1 minute, or until lightly golden. Remove and drain on paper towels.
3. Heat the remaining oil in the wok and stir-fry the chicken over medium heat, if necessary in batches, for 4-5 minutes until browned.
4. Add the mange tout and peppers. Stir fry for a few minutes.
5. Stir in the lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar and basil and cook for 30-60 seconds, or until the basil begins to wilt.
6. Add the cornflour mixture and stir until the mixture thickens slightly.
7. Stir in the cashews e voila. Serve with steamed rice.

Rating: 6.5/10