Thai Mango Chicken

For more information on how to buy, cut, and eat a mango, see my: All About Mangoes Guide.

1. To make the mango sauce, simply place all sauce ingredients in a food processor or chopper. Process well.
2. Do a taste test for salt, spice, and sweetness. Add more sugar if you find the sauce too sour (the sourness/sweetness will depend on the sweetness of your mangoes). If too sweet, add a little more vinegar. If not spicy enough, add more fresh chili or chili sauce. If not salty enough, add more fish sauce. If too salty, add more lime juice (the goal is to reach a balance of sweet, sour, spicy, and salty). Set sauce aside.
3. Place flour on a plate or clean working surface and turn chicken slices over in it until they are well coated.
4. Place oil in a wok or frying pan over medium to high heat. When the pan is hot, add the chicken slices. Fry for 5 to 10 minutes or more on each side (depending on thickness), until chicken is cooked through. Frying Tip: When wok/pan becomes too dry, instead of adding more oil, add a little water (1 Tbsp. at a time). This will keep the chicken frying without adding extra fat/calories.
5. Place mango sauce in another (clean) frying pan/wok over medium heat. Add cooked chicken slices. Also add the red bell pepper (or sweet pepper).
6. Stirring occasionally, bring the mango chicken to a boil, then reduce to a simmer (medium to low heat) for 10 minutes, or until peppers have softened.
7. To serve, tip into a serving bowl or a platter with sides to keep sauce from spilling. Sprinkle with cashews and sprigs of fresh coriander. Serve with plenty of Thai jasmine-scented rice, Thai brown rice, or for an extra special treat, my Easy Coconut Rice.
QUICK & EASY VERSION:
• Make the mango sauce as instructed above.
• Instead of dusting the chicken and frying it, simply place raw chicken slices directly into a frying pan/wok along with the sauce and red pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil. (For this version, there is no need to use oil in the wok/frying pan, so you'll save a little on calories and fat.)
• Reduce to a simmer (medium-low heat), and cover. Stirring occasionally to keep from sticking, continue cooking for 30 minutes (or until chicken is well done).
• Finish the dish with a sprinkling of cashews and fresh coriander, and serve in the same way as instructed above.