CASHEW NUT CURRY - ÍNDIA

Good morning!!

Today we will take a short tour to India, for those who already know the Indian cuisine, you can already start to feel the aromas spreading around the house, the recipe is very easy and with few ingredients, but the end result is .... Hmmm🙄, I’m a suspicious.

There are various variants in preparing this curry, all easy. It is a rich dish, with a velvety taste, lightly sweetened due to chestnuts and nothing spicy. This sauce base can be used in a variety of recipes: with chicken, tofu, chickpeas, boiled eggs, etc.

Besides being delicious, it will please vegetarians as well as vegans, who in this case can replace ghee by coconut oil or any other oil of their choice.

This recipe can still be prepared the day before, just leave to add the toasted chestnuts last, along with Garam Masala.

I know that for many, this explanatory part is quite boring, but some people need more details and options as to quantity or even replacement. If you don’t need it, go straight to the recipe and enjoy it. Use more or less spices, depending on your taste, I give only suggestions.

Well, let's start with the cashew nut xerém.

In fact, I'm not even sure why it's called xerém, since that word refers to something else, that is, it's the canjiquinha (coarsely ground corn, which does not pass through the sieve), but in the emporiums, at the time of buying, is with the name of xerém, whether for cashew nuts, peanuts, brazil nuts, etc. So let's adopt this name here too: xerém, ready 😂!!

To make the paste, it can be xerém or broken chestnuts, it is not worth buying whole ones (even because it is much more expensive), since you will grind them, right? Leave the whole ones to put in the sauce, at the end.

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Step by Step

Instructions:

Take the broken chestnut into the fire with the water and let it boil. I recommend 10 min, but if it passes a little, it is not a problem, even because the intensity of the flame of one stove is different from another. As this recipe is quite democratic, it will not go wrong if you decrease or increase the amounts of the ingredients, just adjust the thickness of the curry (sauce).

And, yes, it is important to wash the cashew nuts xerém in running water after cooking, because you will see that the color of the water in which you cooked seems to be "dirty", so it is better to drain and wash in plenty of running water.

After draining, process with water (if necessary, add a little more). The mixture obtained will be super creamy and with an extremely delicate flavor. Set aside.

In a wok, heat the Ghee, add oil and fry the chestnuts until golden brown. Remove and place them on paper towel. Set aside.

Now, here, the chestnuts should be whole and raw. The amount, I gave as a reference, may be a little less, a little more, just don't put many chestnuts, because in this recipe, you should have a coherent proportion, so that in each bite you can feel the crunchiness of the chestnuts involved in the chestnut cream.

For vegans, replace Ghee with olive oil, coconut oil or oil of your choice.

It’s important to always stir the chestnuts so they don’t burn.

Always remember that, when you’re frying or roasting spices or here, in this case, the chestnuts, when you remove them from the fire, due the heat, they keep roasting, so remove them before they’re completely golden. Set aside.

In the same pan, add cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf and chili.

Fry for a few seconds to release the scents.

Add the onion and fry until brown.

Add ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander powder and salt.

Fry for 1 to 2 seconds.

Here, the spices that will be toasted are those in grains. They need to release the aromas and essential oils, so it is necessary to fry or toast them. If you do not like one of the spices used here, you can suppress it, but the proportion is very smooth, leaving the tastes very delicate.

In fact, I always use more, because I love all these flavors, but it is always good to have a reference of quantity for those who don't have the habit to use them.

As for the onion, I let it turn brown. Try to do this, the taste will be completely different than simply letting them translucent.

Add the chopped tomatoes and cook on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes until they disintegrate and the oil has separated.

Add the chestnut paste and cook over low heat for 8 to 10 min stirring occasionally.

Add the previously reserved sautéed chestnuts and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Before adding them, adjust the consistency of the sauce. If you think it is too thick, add a little more water. Also taste the salt and chili.

Did you enjoy it? Add the sautéed chestnuts and Garam Masala.

Does it matter if I don't add that last ingredient😏? Yes, it's important, but if you don't, don't want to buy, please don't stop making the recipe because of it.

Click here and see a recipe for Garam Masala, and if you don’t want to make your own masala, buy the Garam Masala from the End of the World Kitchen on Shopee’s website.

Before serving, garnish with cilantro and serve with white rice, Basmati would be great, or Indian bread.

I prepared the first recipe using basmati rice and turmeric. I also used the individual flatbread heated directly into the stove flame.

Enjoy your meal!!!

Variations: if you still want a sweeter taste, process the xerém with coconut milk instead of water.

To add additional texture, add the grated roasted coconut.

Whole cashew nuts can be replaced by previously cooked chickpeas. In this case, add to the reduced tomato sauce before adding the chestnut paste, or just use the two ingredients together: chickpeas and sautéed chestnuts.

Here, use your imagination for variations on this recipe.

Now that you know the tips, it’s time to put your hand in the dough and prepare this delight.

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CASHEW NUT CURRY

Ingredients - Paste

250gr whole cashew nut or broken

1 ½ cup water

50 to 60 whole cashew nuts (raw)

Sauce

200gr peeled tomatoes

2 chopped medium onions

3 tbsp Ghee

1 tbsp oil

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 chopped chili pepper (optional)

1 bay leaf

1 tsp cumin seeds

3-5 cardamom

1” cinnamon

½ tsp turmeric

2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp Garam Masala

Salt to taste

Garnish:

Chopped cilantro

Instructions - Paste

Bring to low heat the whole or broken cashew nuts with the water and as soon as they begin to boil leave for 10min.

Transfer to a sieve and wash in abundant running water and let it drain.

Process with 100 ml of water until it becomes a paste. If necessary, add a little more water. Set aside.

Sauce:

In a pan, heat the Ghee, add the oil and fry the cashew nuts until golden brown.

Remove and place them on paper towels.

Set aside.

In the same saucepan, add cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf an chili.

Fry for a few seconds until the aromas are released.

Add the onion and leave until brown.

Add ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander powder and salt.

Cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add chopped tomatoes and cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes and leave until the tomatoes fall apart and the oil separates. Add the cashew nut paste and cook still over low heat for 8 to 10 min, stirring occasionally. Add the previously reserved chestnuts and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Add Garam Masala and taste the salt.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with white rice or Chapati.

The photos have variation in color, because, I prepared this dish two weekends, and the coloring will depend on how much the chestnuts are toasted, the tomato used and the consistency of the sauce.

This first suggestion: basmati rice with turmeric and toasted flatbread heated directly into the stove flame.

And here, with simple jeera rice (cumin rice).

email: cozinhadofimdomundo@gmail.com