Cashew Chicken Curry (In A Hurry!)

The first full week in the Fremont apartment. The kitchen is revealing its personality: the gas range cooks hotter than my old electric, requiring recalibration. The counter space is a revelation — three banchan prep stations simultaneously. The double sink allows soaking anchovies while washing vegetables. James and I established the kitchen treaty: his shelf (Taiwanese), my shelf (Korean), shared shelf (the overlap). The shelves are a map of the relationship.

This week we hosted our first dinner party: Sujin and Tom, Daniel, Grace. I made a full Korean spread. James made three-cup chicken. Six people at the new IKEA table, eating two cuisines, the housewarming expressed through food rather than gifts (though Sujin brought wine and Daniel brought a plant, which is dying already because Daniel has no gift for botany).

The cooking rhythm resumed immediately: Korean Tuesdays and Thursdays, Taiwanese Mondays and Wednesdays, Fusion Saturdays. The rhythm is the marriage-before-the-marriage: the domestic partnership expressed through meal planning, the commitment calibrated in gochugaru and five-spice.

Saturday: Bellevue. Karen made her roast chicken. I brought japchae (the eternal Bellevue dish) and a container of the three-cup chicken James made (his Bellevue debut as a cook, not just a guest). Karen tried the three-cup chicken and said, "The basil is lovely." David ate it with rice and said nothing, which means approval. The Fremont kitchen is producing food for the Bellevue table, and the Bellevue table is receiving it, and the receiving is the acceptance, and the acceptance has been building for three and a half years and now includes a Taiwanese man's chicken alongside a Korean woman's japchae.

The dinner party proved what I already suspected: the food matters more than the furniture, and the table matters more than the apartment. James’s three-cup chicken was the introduction that three and a half years of visits hadn’t quite managed—David’s silence was the highest compliment in the room. I’ve been thinking about what makes a dish travel well, feel generous, and ask nothing of the people eating it. This cashew chicken curry does exactly that: it’s fast enough for a Tuesday recalibration and warm enough to carry to someone else’s table, which is all I ever really want from a recipe.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
3/4 cup raw cashews
1 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Salt and black pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro, chopped, for serving
Steamed rice, for serving

Instructions

Toast the cashews. In a large skillet or wok over medium heat, toast the cashews dry for 2—3 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant. Remove and set aside.
Sear the chicken. Add vegetable oil to the skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken cubes with salt and pepper, then add in a single layer. Cook 3—4 minutes per side until lightly browned but not fully cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
Build the aromatics. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to the same skillet and cook 3—4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly.
Bloom the spices. Add curry powder, cumin, and turmeric to the onion mixture. Stir and cook 30—60 seconds until fragrant and slightly darkened.
Add the liquids. Pour in coconut milk and chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Stir in soy sauce and brown sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Finish the chicken. Return the chicken to the skillet. Simmer uncovered 8—10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Add cashews and serve. Stir in most of the toasted cashews, reserving a handful for topping. Taste and adjust salt. Serve over steamed rice, garnished with remaining cashews and fresh cilantro.

Nutrition (per serving)

Cashew Chicken Curry (In A Hurry!) — The Dish That Belongs on Every Table