Chilli Chicken Noodles With Coriander Pesto

Submitted by Kiwi Kathy

"This recipe is the first time I have used Sambal Oelek and it was delicious. I almost didn't make it because the recipe sounded a bit fiddly, but it did say 15 minutes prep and 15 minutes cooking time, so I gave it a go. Absolutely delicious!! It does suggest using peanuts instead of cashews if desired, though I used cashews. Recipe found in the February 2010 issue of Recipes+."

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 13
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 1 cup coriander, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup parmesan cheese, shaved
• 1⁄3 cup cashews, raw and toasted
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2⁄3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon oil, vegetable
• 550 g chicken breasts, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons sambal oelek
• 1 red onion, large and cut into thin wedges
• 250 g cherry tomatoes
• 375 g egg noodles, thin
• 100 g baby spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

directions

1. Process coriander, parmesan, cashews and garlic until smooth.
2. Cut each chicken breast into half, hoizontally.
3. Heat the 1 tblsp oil in a large frying pan over a moderate heat. Cook chicken for 3 minutes each side or until cooked. Transfer to a heatproof plate. Brush with sambal oelek. Cover with foil; rest for 5 minutes. Slice.
4. Add onion and tomatoes to pan. Cook and stir for 2 - 3 minutes or until onion softens. Remove from heat.
5. Cook noodles in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes or until tender. Drain; return to pan. Add chicken, coriander pesto, tomato mixture, spinach leaves and lemon juice. Season with salt. (I only ever use Himalayan Crystal Rock Salt now days - google it to see why). Toss to combine.
6. Spoon into shallow serving bowls. Serve at once.

Reviews

[Leggy Peggy]

We thoroughly enjoyed this delicious and easy-to-make dish. Have to admit that I was puzzled by your reference to 2/3 cup of oil. This amount of oil was not mentioned in the instructions. It dawned on me that this was to go into the pesto mixture, which I did. However to keep the fat down, I added just under a 1/2 cup of oil. I also sliced the chicken breasts after they were cooked and spread with the sambal oelek. It seemed a more manageable way to serve the entire dish. In future, I'll use 600 grams of noodles for 4 people. My packet of 450 grams just stretched to serve three of us. One last comment -- the sambal oelek really makes this dish. That little kick of chilli is perfect and essential. Thanks so much for posting the recipe for such a quick and tasty dish.