Kai Pad Med Mamuang

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Mix the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and water in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Slice the chicken thinly, slice the garlic, cut the onion into wedges, and cut the spring onion into short lengths so everything is ready before the wok goes on; this stir-fry moves very fast.

   25 g oyster sauce10 g light soy sauce5 g fish sauce5 g sugar15 g water250 g boneless skinless chicken thigh, thinly sliced10 g garlic, thinly sliced80 g onion, cut into wedges30 g spring onion, cut into 4 cm lengths
2. 2

   Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat until very hot. Add 10 g of the neutral oil, swirl, then add the cashews and dried chilies. Stir-fry for 20-30 seconds just until fragrant and the chilies darken slightly; do not let the garlic in later burn. Remove the cashews and chilies to a plate so the cashews stay crisp.

   20 g neutral oil60 g roasted unsalted cashews4 g small dried red chilies
3. 3

   Add the remaining 10 g oil to the hot wok. Add the chicken in a single layer and sear for about 1 minute without moving too much, then stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until nearly cooked through and lightly browned at the edges. If the pan looks dry, keep the heat high rather than adding more oil.

   20 g neutral oil250 g boneless skinless chicken thigh, thinly sliced
4. 4

   Add the garlic and onion. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until the garlic smells sweet and aromatic and the onion is just tender but still has some bite.

   10 g garlic, thinly sliced80 g onion, cut into wedges
5. 5

   Give the sauce a quick stir and pour it into the wok. Toss for 30-60 seconds until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce lightly glazes the meat rather than pooling; the internal temperature should reach 74 C.

   25 g oyster sauce10 g light soy sauce5 g fish sauce5 g sugar15 g water
6. 6

   Return the cashews and chilies to the wok, add the spring onion, and toss for 20-30 seconds just to combine. Serve immediately while the chicken is glossy and the cashews remain crunchy.

   60 g roasted unsalted cashews4 g small dried red chilies30 g spring onion, cut into 4 cm lengths

Origin & History

Kai Pad Med Mamuang is a popular Thai stir-fry known for its contrast of savory sauce, tender chicken, smoky dried chilies, and crunchy cashews. While cashews are strongly associated with southern Thailand, the dish became widely loved across Thai restaurants for its quick cooking and balanced sweet-salty-spicy flavor profile.