This popular Chinese takeaway style char siu with cashew nuts recipe is great for a midweek dinner, packed with healthy vegetables.
Chinese takeaway dishes are great fun to recreate at home, mainly because they are so delicious, and also because stir frying is so quick and eventful. With ingredients peeled and chopped, the cooking process takes just a few minutes, which makes many of these dishes ideal for midweek dinners too. When time is short, a hot wok and this easy recipe are your friend!
Ingredients For Char Siu With Cashew Nuts
As well as the char siu pork and cashew nuts included in the name, this dish is also loaded with healthy vegetables like onion, carrot, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. The ingredients are wok-fried and combined with garlic and a delicious savoury sauce made with oyster sauce, soy sauce and light stock.
- Oyster Sauce
- Light Soy Sauce
- Dark Soy Sauce
- Tomato Ketchup
- White Pepper
- MSG
- Light Chicken Stock
- Sunflower Oil
- Chinese takeaway style char siu pork
- Onion
- Carrot
- Bamboo Shoots
- Water Chestnuts
- Cashew Nuts
- Chopped Garlic in Oil
- Potato Starch
- Water
- Rice Wine
- Sesame Oil
How To Make Char Siu With Cashew Nuts
Step 1: Prepare Sauce
In a bowl, add 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon light soy sauce, Dash dark soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon tomato ketchup, Pinch white pepper, Pinch msg and 125 ml light chicken stock. Mix well and set aside.
Step 2: Stir Fry
Heat a wok or large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon sunflower oil. Add 12 slices cooked char siu , 1/2 onion, roughly chopped, 1/2 carrot, thinly sliced, 1 small handful tinned bamboo shoots, rinsed, drained and sliced, 1 small handful tinned water chestnuts, rinsed, drained and sliced and 1 handful raw cashew nuts. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Add 1 generous teaspoon chopped garlic in oil and stir fry for another 30-40 seconds. Add the prepared sauce, mix well and simmer for 1-2 minutes until the sauce reduces slightly. Add 1 teaspoon potato starch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water, stirring well (all of the mix may not be needed). Add 1 tablespoon rice wine and Dash sesame oil and mix well once more.
Step 3: Serve
Transfer char siu with cashew nuts to a serving plate and serve with egg fried rice and prawn crackers.
I hope you’ll try this char siu with cashew nuts recipe. If you do, let me know in the comments how it went!
Char Siu with Cashew Nuts (Chinese Takeaway Style)
Equipment
- 1 Wok or Large Frying Pan
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- Dash dark soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon tomato ketchup
- Pinch white pepper
- Pinch msg
- 125 ml light chicken stock
Stir-Fry
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
- 12 slices cooked char siu
- 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
- 1/2 carrot, thinly sliced
- 1 small handful tinned bamboo shoots, rinsed, drained and sliced
- 1 small handful tinned water chestnuts, rinsed, drained and sliced
- 1 handful raw cashew nuts see notes
- 1 generous teaspoon chopped garlic in oil
- 1 teaspoon potato starch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- Dash sesame oil
Instructions
- In a bowl, add 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon light soy sauce, Dash dark soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon tomato ketchup, Pinch white pepper, Pinch msg and 125 ml light chicken stock. Mix well and set aside.
- Heat a wok or large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon sunflower oil. Add 12 slices cooked char siu , 1/2 onion, roughly chopped, 1/2 carrot, thinly sliced, 1 small handful tinned bamboo shoots, rinsed, drained and sliced, 1 small handful tinned water chestnuts, rinsed, drained and sliced and 1 handful raw cashew nuts. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Add 1 generous teaspoon chopped garlic in oil and stir fry for another 30-40 seconds. Add the prepared sauce, mix well and simmer for 1-2 minutes until the sauce reduces slightly. Add 1 teaspoon potato starch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water, stirring well (all of the mix may not be needed). Add 1 tablespoon rice wine and Dash sesame oil and mix well once more.
- Transfer char siu with cashew nuts to a serving plate and serve with egg fried rice and prawn crackers.
Chinese Restaurant Style Char Siu With Cashew Nuts Recipe FAQ
What is MSG and why should I use it?
MSG is monosodium glutamate, a seasoning ingredient widely used in Chinese takeaway kitchens, in pure form or as an ingredient in soy sauces and other seasoning sauces. It’s definitely an ingredient you should add to your Chinese takeaway style cooking. Despite historic baseless claims of its dangers, it has been widely proven to be safe for use in cooking. In fact, many of the myths and lies about MSG were deliberately and maliciously spread as a form of racism. You can find MSG naturally in many foodstuffs including broccoli, cheese and tomatoes. It’s available online or in Chinese supermarkets. You can learn more about MSG from the brilliant Chin Taylor of Ziang’s Kitchen here.
Do I need a carbon steel wok to cook Char Siu with Cashew Nuts?
You can cook this char siu with cashew nuts dish in any large wok or frying pan. But, investing in a carbon steel wok is a great way to improve your Chinese takeaway style cooking. With the wok properly seasoned, ingredients can be cooked quickly over high heat, adding delicious flavour to stir fry dishes.
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