Kaju Masala Recipe | How to Make Simple & Quick Cashew Curry

Learn how to make Kaju Masala Curry ~ Cashew Curry

After long unexpected break from blogging, it feels strange to sit here and share few titbits of my life and a recipe. Although my mind is all jumbled up with hundreds of things happening around me, my heart and my fingers seems to know their business. As the words pour out from my heart and dances on my fingertips tapping furiously on the keyboard, first thing I want to say to you is a big thank you!

Thank you for keeping this virtual home of mine warm with your visits, kind feedbacks and ever so sweet words of appreciation. With your big heart and generosity, you make this virtual home a very special place for me… sometimes I wonder do I really deserve this kind of love from people whom I have never met in real life! All I do here is ramble, share my childhood memories and nostalgic moments, constantly crib about weather, bore you with the stories of my day to day life, keep gushing about Lil Dumplings antics like one crazy mother, and oh, share few recipes!!! And here you are, my dear reader friends, who come and meet at this virtual home, with your words of wisdom, praise, appreciation and kindness. Do I really deserve it? I wonder…

Divine Kaju Masala/Cashew Curry

It is your generosity and kindness that has made my humble blog to be featured as the Top 100 Mom Food Bloggers 2012 by the Babble. I want to thank every one of you who took time from your busy schedule to vote for me and place my blog among the wonderful food mom bloggers. Some of you, who have never left your trail here in this blog, have messaged me on my Facebook page and mailed me how much you enjoy visiting my virtual home and that just made my day! I hope many will follow the suit and delurk one day too… So this special thank you is for all of you, not just for voting for some food blog competition, but for always being supportive of my love and passion for writing and cooking. I hope I could express my gratitude in few simple words, but alas, words just fail me! So I will do what I do the best… Rant and share recipes :)

Velvety smooth and creamy Kaju Masala/Cashew Curry

Today I have this regal dish of Kaju Masala or Cashew Curry for you. It is my mother’s signature dish which she cooks for her very special friends and family (which actually includes everyone in her friends and family list ;) whenever they visit our home. The sweet cashew nuts are lightly roasted in little ghee till they turn light golden shade of beauties and then simmered in velvety creamy gravy of onion, tomato and very special aromatic spice blend. From the moment the onion paste is fried in pure Desi ghee, the whole house would start to smell like a piece of heaven. And by the time the golden cashew nuts are added to the gravy and simmered, the house transformed in to a divine temple of goddess Annapurna (Hindu goddess of nourishment)!

Grab your spoon ~ Kaju Masala/Cashew Curry

The recipe for Kaju Masala or Cashew Curry is quite simple and straightforward and is actually fuss free. This Kaju Masala or Cashew Curry has become Lil Dumpling’s favourite curry and I make it mildly spiced to suit his taste buds. So adjust the seasoning and spices according to your taste buds. You can also add almonds to this gravy (soaked in water over night and skin removed) or replace cashew nuts with Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) for different flavours and textures. The possibilities with this basic gravy are endless. So do me a favour and go and treat yourself and your loved ones to this velvety goodness of Kaju Masala or Cashew Curry!

Cashew nuts for Kaju Masala or Cashew Curry

Rosted to golden perfection!

Velvetty creamy onion and cashew paste for the gravy

Juicy red tomatoes for Kaju Masala

Flavour sensation ~ Kaju Masala/Cashew Curry

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Kaju Masala/Cashew Curry (Cashew Nuts cooked in velvety creamy and spicy onion-tomato gravy)
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Recipe Level: Easy/Beginner
Spice Level: Medium
Serves: 5-6 people
Recipe Source: My Amma
Shelf Life: 3 days when refrigerated
Serving Suggestion: With any Indian flat breads (Whole Wheat Naan or Butter Naan or with any stuffed parathas) or plain/flavoured Basmati rice

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Ingredients:
1-1½ cups Cashew Nuts
3 medium Tomatoes, pureed
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1-2 tbsp Fresh Cream (Optional)
1½-2 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Oil/Ghee
Salt to taste

For Onion Paste:
2 medium Onions, peeled and quartered
1 inch Cinnamon
3 Cloves
3 Green Cardamoms
1 heaped tbsp Dhania/Coriander Seeds
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Sugar (Optional but recommended)
4-5 Dried Red Chillies (Kashmiri/Byadagi or any mild variety. Adjust acc to taste)
6-8 Cashew Nuts

Spices Used:
½ tsp Garam Masala (Adjust acc to taste)
½ tsp Kitchen King Masala (Optional)
½ tbsp Kasuri Methi/Dried Fenugreek Leaves, crushed
¼ tsp Amchur Powder/Dried Mango Powder (Optional)

Creamy and spicy Kaju Masala/Cashew Curry

Method:

1. Grind all the ingredients listed under onion paste to smooth paste without adding any water. Keep it aside.
2. Heat about 1 tbsp of oil or ghee and add cashew nuts. Roast these nuts on medium to low heat till they change colour to golden. Remove from pan and keep it aside.
3. In a same pan add about 1½ to 2 tbsp of oil or ghee and add ground onion paste. Cook it on medium flame, stirring continuously, till its raw smell disappears and the oil starts to leave the sides, about 7-10 mins. This is a crucial step and be patient as the undercooked onion paste will turn the curry to taste bitter!
4. Mix in crushed kasuri methi and ginger-garlic paste and stir it for another 2-3 mins. Add all the spices (garam masala, kitchen king masala and amchur powder) and give it a good stir, about 1 minute.
5. Next, mix in tomato puree and cook it for 3-4 minutes. Mix in salt to taste, a tsp of sugar if needed, and about 1½ -2 cups of water and bring the curry to gentle boil, about 5-7 minutes.
6. Add fried cashew nuts, and fresh cream if using, and adjust the seasonings. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes for all the flavours to blend well.
7. Switch off the pan and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve this Kaju Masala or Cashew Curry with any Indian flat breads (Whole Wheat Naan or Butter Naan or with any stuffed parathas) or plain/flavoured Basmati rice and enjoy this rich, creamy delight!

Creamy Kaju Masala/Cashew Curry

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Sia’s Notes:

• Ghee, Indian clarified butter, works best in this recipe instead of oil. But if you are a vegan or health conscious, please feel free to use oil instead.
• Addition of fresh cream is optional. I have used it to mellow the spices as Lil dumpling loves to eat what we eat these days!
• You can also add almonds to this Kaju Masala or replace cashews nuts with Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) for Paneer Masala.