Pad Gai Mamuang Sood (Young Mango Chicken)

This is another dish we made at the same time as the Curry Chicken with Fresh Pineapple from Wandee Young's cookbook Simply Thai Cooking, though this is not a dish that you would really find in Thailand as the mangos there don’t hold up well to cooking like this - and are really better for the more delicious mango salad anyways. Again, we substituted chicken thighs for chicken breast. The mango we used you can find in most supermarkets, it comes from Mexico and has green/red skin, with an inside that is yellow; this is different than one from Asia, but what you are looking for, is a mango that will stand up to cooking, one that is not quite so ripe - you also want to cut up the mango into larger strips, thin ones will soften too much. I like mango, and the combination with chicken is great, very tasty. This is not so hot as the above Curry Chicken, but still has a heat to it. We didn't have nor could find any good coriander, otherwise the red and the orange and the green make for an appealing dish. To roast your cashews, place them on a baking sheet in a 350F oven for 10 minutes, or until they become fragrant (and better tasting than raw).

Pad Gai Manuang Sood
adapted from a recipe from Simply Thai Cooking, 2nd Edition
300 g skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 large mango
4 Tbsp chopped garlic
4 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp chili paste
2 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 medium red pepper, cut into thin strips
2 oz roasted unsalted cashews
fresh coriander leaves, chopped, for garnish

Slice the chicken thighs into thin strips.

Peel mango and slice into thick, long strips.

Heat oil in a wok or large heavy-bottomed pan on high heat until the oil just begins to smoke. Add garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add chicken and water and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until the chicken is springy. Add soya sauce and sugar and continue stir-frying for 1 minute. Add chili paste and lime juice and stir-fry for an additional 1 minute. Add mango and red pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add cashews and stir-fry for 1 more minute.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with steamed Jasmine rice.