This homestyle Thai dish is fresh, fragrant and just the right level of sweetness – so much better than your takeaway version! One word of advice? Don’t use tinned pineapple! It really needs to be the real deal if you want a tip-top, tasty stir-fry.
1 Lebanese cucumber
3 spring onions (scallions)
1 tomato, cut into small wedges
1 red capsicum (bell pepper), deseeded and cut into bite-sized pieces
100g (3.5 oz) fresh pineapple, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 onion, cut into wedges
3 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp white vinegar
3 tbsp white sugar
2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
500g (1.1 lb) chicken thigh, thinly sliced
vegetable oil for frying
Prepare all your vegetable first. Cut small chunks from the sides of the cucumber so that you avoid the middle seedy part. Discard the seeds. Finely slice the pale part of the spring onion and then slice the green parts into batons. Cut up all the remaining vegetables too.
Whisk together fish sauce, white vinegar, sugar and cornflour. Set aside for later.
Heat vegetable oil in a wok over high heat. Add garlic and onion and stir-fry for a few seconds. Then add the chicken and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes or until almost cooked. Add the capsicum and stir-fry for half a minute. Then add the tomato, cucumber and pineapple and stir-fry for another minute. Pour over the fish sauce mixture and stir-fry until thick and glossy.
Remove from heat and toss through green part of the spring onions.
