Sri Lankan Cashew nut curry

One of the characteristics of Sri Lankan cuisine is the preference for freshly prepared curry powders rather than using pastes. This nourishing (and might I please add, delicious?) cashew nut curry is both vegan and vegetarian-friendly. Start this recipe a few hours before.

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Sri Lankan

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 30

Soaking time of cashews: 3

Servings:

Calories: 861kcal

Author: Nellie Kerrison | Relish Mama

Equipment

1 Mortar & Pestle
1 Heavy based pot or pan
Cooking bowls
Cooking spoons & spatula

Ingredients

400 g cashew nuts soaked overnight
2 tablespoons of coconut oil or olive oil
1 small brown onion finely diced
3 cloves of garlic crushed with a crusher or finely diced
1 cinnamon quill
10 curry leaves
1 green chilli de-seeded and finely diced
3-4 teaspoons of Sri Lankan curry powder see recipe below
½ teaspoon turmeric
A small pinch Aleppo chilli powder
1 teaspoon caster sugar
A good pinch of sea salt
400 ml coconut milk
50 g green peas

Sri Lankan curry powder

1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 cinnamon quill crumbled
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
½ teaspoon cardamom seeds from about 10 pods
3 dried Kashmiri chillies optional or use 1 teaspoon dried Kashmiri chilli powder

Instructions

Place the cashew nuts in a bowl cover with double their volume of water. Add a teaspoon of salt & mix to dissolve. Leave the cashews for 2 to 4 hours.
To make the curry powder, heat a small frying pan over medium heat. Add spices and stir for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant and then add the chillies, if using. Transfer to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind to a fine powder.
Heat oil in a heavy-based pan. Add the onions. Cook for 5 minutes or until translucent and fragrant. Add the crushed garlic & stir while cooking for a further 60 seconds. Add cinnamon quill, curry leaves and green chilli and cook for an additional minute or two.
Add the drained cashews and fry for 1 minute. Add the curry powder, turmeric, Aleppo chilli and caster sugar. Add the sea salt and coconut milk. Stir to combine.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. The cashews should be firm but not crunchy. Add the peas and cook for a further 10 minutes. Add a small amount of water, if you find that it is needed during the cooking time.

Notes

Start this recipe a few hours before.

Nutrition