Cashew Chicken (Instant Pot)

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

• Main Dish
  • 1.13398 kg chicken thighs or breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
  • sea salt and black pepper as needed
  • 2-4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 7 cups / 500 gr broccoli florets
  • 2 red bell pepper cut into bite-sized chunks
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 4 tablespoons water plus more as needed to thin out sauce
  • 1.5 cup roasted unsalted cashews
• Sauce and Marinade
  • 12 tablespoons low sodium-soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 2-4 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1.5 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup chicken broth (OR water)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger (optional)
• Serving (Optional)
  • red pepper chili flakes
  • toasted sesame seeds
  • 2 green onion sliced thinly

Instructions:

1. Sauce/Marinade
   In a medium bowl, combine:
   • 12 tablespoons sodium soy
   • 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
   • 1.5 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
   • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
   • 2-4 teaspoons brown sugar (if using)
   • 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
   • 4 cloves minced garlic
   • 0.67-1 cup chicken broth (OR water) – (1 cup = 236.588 ml)
   • Set aside
2. Cornstarch
   • tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water until combined
3. Cashew Preparation:
   • If cashew nuts are raw, they could be roasted in the oven for 12-15 minutes on 180°C
     
4. Meat Preparation:
   • Season chicken with salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the sauce/marinade.
   • Allow to sit while you chop and prep your vegetables.
     
5. Vegetables Preparation:
   • Wash and split 7 cups (480-500 gr) broccoli florets
   • 2 red bell pepper cut into bite-sized chunks
   • Set aside
     
6. Cooking Instructions:
   1. Turn your Instant Pot to SAUTE then add in oil
   2. Once oil is hot, add the chicken and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes.
   3. Pour in the remaining sauce along with 1/3 cup water (or chicken broth).
   4. Cover with lid.
   5. Press the valve to SEALING and press MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK for 8 minutes.
   6. The Instant Pot will take some time to come to pressure.
   7. Once the 4 minutes is up, use a long spoon and push the valve to VENTING for a QUICK RELEASE.
   8. Once all the pressure is released, carefully unlock the lid.
   9. Press the SAUTE button, then whisk the cornstarch mixture and stir into the Instant Pot.
   10. Add the vegetables and cashews and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the sauce has thickened up.
       • perhaps it’s worth adding the red peppers first as they take more time to boil
       • after 4-5 minutes add the broccoli
   11. Adjust seasonings with salt, pepper (or red pepper chili flakes and / or add more water as needed to thin out sauce).
   12. Give everything a final tossing to coat well.
   13. Transfer to a platter and serve warm on a large platter or over zoodles, cauliflower rice (paleo), quinoa or regular rice or noodles.
   14. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions if desired.
       
7. Instant Pot Rice Cooking:
   1. Measure out dry rice, set aside. We recommend using directly in the inner pot. (For smaller amounts, use the pot-in-pot method.)
   2. Measure out the same amount of water, then add it to Instant Pot’s inner pot.
   3. Rinse the rice, then add the wet rice to the water in the inner pot. Never fill your inner pot past the half-way mark when cooking rice.
   4. Place the inner pot into the cooker base, then plug in your Instant Pot.
   5. Close the lid, and set the steam release to the “Seal” position.
   6. Select your pressure cooking time.
      1. The “Rice” Smart Program automatically sets the time for white or parboiled rice only.
      2. For other types of rice, use the “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” Smart Program on High
      3. Use + and – to set the correct time depending on your preferences and any local issues, like high elevation or a large amount of rice.
         • Basmati (white) rice: 4-8 minutes
         • Jasmine rice: 3-5 minutes
         • Brown rice (long/short): 22-28 minutes
         • Wild rice mix: 25-30 minutes
      4. Turn “Keep Warm” off.
      5. Do a natural release (NR) to release pressure from your cooker.
      6. When the float valve has dropped, open your Instant Pot, then fluff, serve and enjoy your perfect rice.

Source:

• Main Dish: https://lifemadesweeter.com/instant-pot-cashew-chicken/
• Rice Cooking with Instant Pot: https://instantpot.com/how-to-cook-perfect-rice-in-an-instant-pot-instanpot-com/
• Roasting Cashew:https://www.culinaryhill.com/how-to-roast-cashews/