Cashew nut curry

 

My first meeting with a cashew nut curry was while dining in Sri Lanka, where the cashews are large, meaty and with that incredible ‘cashew nut’ taste that renders them almost impossible to resist.  Adding pandan essence brings a captivating taste to this easy-to-make curry.

 

Preparation time:  20 minutes

Cooking time:  20 minutes

Serves: 4

 

Ingredients

250 grams raw cashews

2 stalks lemongrass

1 onion, peeled and diced

2-3 green chillies, sliced, deseeded if wished

1½ tablespoons minced fresh garlic

1 tablespoon curry powder

2 tablespoons palm sugar

400 ml can coconut milk

1 ½ cups water

6 curry leaves

1/8^th teaspoon pandan essence

 

Method

1. Soak the cashew nuts in a bowl of cold water for 20 minutes; strain well.

 

2. Trim the white  part from the lemon grass and slice finely.  Keep the fibrous green of the stem to add for flavour or use to make lemon grass tea.

 

3. Heat a dash of oil in a deep frying pan and cook the lemon grass, onion, chillies and garlic for 3-5 minutes over a moderate heat until fragrant and beginning to soften. Add the curry powder and stir in the hot ingredients to release their essential oils before adding the palm sugar, coconut milk, water, curry leaves and pandan essence.  Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

 

4. Add the cashew nuts and simmer a further 5 minutes.  Scatter over fresh coriander leaves before serving with boiled rice.

 

It also gives a brilliant green hue to those chewy  coconut pancakes regularly served in Thai and SE Asian restaurants.