Thai Peanut Chicken Stir Fry

(ROMANIAN)

Mereu am fost inspirata de bucataria asiatica, care este, de altfel, si preferata mea. Aromele, condimentele si combinatiile de texturi din mancarurile lor ma fascineaza. De aceea, observ si preiau mici secrete, iar, acasa, experimentez singura in bucatarie si introduc diverse elemente in ce gatesc. Unul dintre gusturile mele preferate este cel al arahidelor prajite. In aceasta reteta pe care am preparat-o recent, sosul de arahide este elementul de legatura dintre carne, legume si orez, oferind o savoare aparte.

Ingrediente:

• 1/2 ardei rosu
• 1/2 ardei galben
• 6 tulpini de sparanghel
• 1 morcov mediu
• 10 ciuperci brune
• 300g piept de pui/curcan
• ananas
• unt de arahide
• arahide prajite nesarate
• 1/2 portocala sau 1 mandarina
• sos de chilli dulce
• sos de soya
• lapte de cocos
• ghimbir
• orez brun

Mod de preparare:

1. Se spala legumele. Morcovul se toaca in cubulete mici, sparanghelul se taie in jumatati (3cm de la coada se arunca), iar ciupercile si ardeii se taie in felii subtiri.
2. Morcovul si sparanghelul se pun in tigaie la foc mediu spre mare cu 1/2 ceasca de apa si se acopera cu un capac. Cand legumele incep sa se patrunda, scoateti capacul si lasati apa sa se evapore la foc mediu. Puneti legumele intr-un castron si acoperiti-le cu un capac pentru a se pastra calde.
3. Daca nu aveti arahide prajite, prajiti 2-3 pumni de arahide crude in tigaie (aveti grija sa nu le ardeti).
4. Puneti arahidele deoparte. Se trag la tigaie ardeiul si ciupercile, care se tin deasupra unui foc mediu-mare timp de 8 minute.
5. Pentru a prepara sosul, se dau la blender 2-3 linguri mari de unt de arahide, sucul de citrice, o lingura de sos chilli dulce, 200ml lapte de cocos, 1 1/2 linguri de soya si ghimbir in functie de preferinta (cantitatile se pot adjusta).
6. Se rumeneste bine carnea taiata cubulete si se trage la tigaie rapid ananasul. Carnea poate fi marinata si condimentata cu sare, chilli, mustar cu hrean si ulei de masline.
7. Intre timp, se lasa la fiert o cana mica de orez brun.
8. Toate ingredientele se combina intr-o tigaie mare si se acopera cu sosul de arahide. Se lasa la foc mediu 5 minute.
9. Orezul se batatoreste bine intr-o ceasca, care se rastoarna pe farfurie, pentru a obtine forma decorativa.
10. Stir fry-ul se aseaza in farfurie in jurul orezului. Cina este servita!

(pentru 2 persoane)

(ENGLISH)

Asian cuisine, which is my favourite, has always been a source of inspiration for me. The aromas, spices and texture combinations in their dishes fascinate me. Therefore, I observe and borrow all of these little secrets and, at home, I experiment alone in the kitchen, introducing different elements in what I cook.One of my favourite flavours has to be roasted peanuts. In this Thai Peanut Chicken Stir Fry recipe that I recently prepared, the peanut sauce is the element that bind together the meat, vegetables and rice, bringing uniqueness to the dish. So here’s how to pu together my favourite Thai Chicken Stir Fry:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper
• 6 asparagus stalks
• 1 medium carrot
• 10 brown mushrooms
• 300g chicken or turkey breast
• pineapple
• peanut butter
• unsalted roasted peanuts
• 1/2 orange or 1 tangerine
• sweet chilli sauce
• soy sauce
• coconut milk
• ginger
• brown rice

Directions:

1. Wash the vegetables. Finely dice the carrot, halve the asparagus stalks (throw away 3cm from the bottom) and thinly slice the peppers and mushrooms.
2. Cook the carrot and asparagus in a pan over a medium-high heat in 1/2 cup of water. Cover with a lid until the veggies start to soften, then bring the heat down to medium and uncover to let the water evaporate. Set them aside in a bowl and cover to keep warm.
3. If you don’t have pre-roasted peanuts, roast 2-3 handfuls in the same frying pan (be careful not to burn them).
4. Empty your pan in order to cook the pepper and mushrooms. Leave them on a medium-high heat until they reduce in size (aprox 8 min), stirring occasionally.
5. To prepare the sauce, blend in a food processor 2 heaping tablespoons of peanut butter, orange/tangerine juice, 1 tbsp of sweet chilli sauce, 200ml coconut milk, 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce and ginger to taste (the quantities cam be adjusted as preferred).
6.  Slice the chicken breast in bite-sized chunks and season with salt, chilli flakes, dijon mustard and olive oil. Roast in a frying pan until golden brown, adding the pineapple at the end.
7. Meanwhile, cook 1 cup of brown rice in water.
8. Combine all of the ingredients in a large pan and pour the peanut sauce over the stir-fry. Leave over medium heat for 5 minutes.
9. Firmly pack the cooked rice into a small cup, cover with a plate and flip over to create a dome.
10. Plate the stir-fry around the dome of rice. Dinner is served!

(serves 2)

I hope that you’ll try this recipe at home with your family or friends (send me pictures if you do!!)! Let me know which other recipes you would like to see, I have a few more coming soon!

Bia