Pumpkin and Cashew Stir Fry
This spicy Thai-inspired Pumpkin and Cashew Stir Fry is super simple and quick to whip up with loads of flavour and textures!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp peanut oil (or any neutral tasting oil)
- ⅔ cup natural cashews (or raw)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ medium brown onion (sliced into thin wedges)
- 2 spring onions (green onion, scallions) (sliced into 2 inches lengthwise)
- 10 whole dried Chinese chillies (optional) (NOTE 1)
- 500 gm pumpkin (chopped into approx. 2cm cubes) (NOTE 2)
- 1-2 small red chillies (or adjust to taste) thinly sliced)
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce (NOTE 3)
- 2 tsp light soy sauce (NOTE 4)
- 1 tbsp fish sauce (NOTE 5)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine and mix the sauce ingredients together until the sugar dissolves. Set the sauce aside.
- Heat oil over medium heat in a large wok or a deep frying pan (that has a lid). Add in the cashews and stir quickly until they are lightly browned. Remove the cashew from the pan and transfer them onto a plate, leaving just the oil. Set the cashews aside.
- Increase the heat to medium-high, then add the garlic, onion, spring onion, and dried chillies into the same pan. Stir-fry for a minute and then add in the pumpkin and chillies. Cook the stir-fry for a few minutes, then pour the sauce into the pan, stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then cover the pan and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until the pumpkin softens. During the cooking time, lift the lid and stir occasionally to prevent the stir-fry from catching at the bottom of the pan.
- Remove the stir-fry from the heat and stir through half the cashews. Place remaining on top of the stir-fry.
Notes
(NOTE 1) Whole dried Chinese chillies (optional) - Dried chillies add heat and smoky flavour to dishes. I bought mine from my local Asian grocer. They were 'pinky finger' sized and were medium to mild in heat. You can omit dried chillies or swap it with 1/2 teaspoon of chilli flakes.
(NOTE 2) Pumpkin - I used Japanese (Jap or Kent) pumpkin, which is sweet and nutty in taste and soft in texture. Most variety of sweet, creamy pumpkins or squash would work such as butternut. Chop the pumpkins roughly into 2cm (0.8in) cubes so they won't take too long to soften.
(NOTE 3) Oyster sauce adds more depth to the savoury sauce, but it doesn't have a strong oyster or fishy flavour. It's actually more salty and sweet in taste. Supermarkets usually have it in their International or 'sauces' section.
(NOTE 4) Light soy sauce or regular soy sauce but avoid the dark or sweet soy sauce varieties, as these are not interchangeable.
(NOTE 5) Fish sauce - My favourite brand is Thai 'Squid' fish sauce, but any brand of fish sauce will work. It's sold at supermarkets in the International section or at an Asian grocery store. Fish sauce is pungent with a strong fish smell but adds wonderful flavours to Southeast Asian cuisines
Leftovers - Allow the stir-fry to cool completely at room temperature. Transfer the stir-fry into a sealed container and refrigerate. It'll be good for up to 3 days.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements.
A Third-Party Application calculated the calories and nutritional information. Please use this as an approximate guide only.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 249kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 6gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 777mgPotassium: 693mgFiber: 2gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 11140IUVitamin C: 30mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 3mg