Cashew & Coconut Korma
Celebrate the flavours of India in your kitchen this summer with this tasty vegan spice dish
SERVES 4
Feel free to switch up the veg for whatever’s in season. We find it works best with one starchy vegetable and a mix of two of three fresher, green veg to cut through the creaminess.
Ingredients
- 120g (4.2 oz) cashew nuts, plus a few to garnish
- ½ large butternut squash, cut into 2.5cm chunks
- 3 tbsp veg oil, plus extra for roasting the squash
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 cloves
- 3 cardamom pods, crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 medium white onion, sliced into half-moons
- 4 large garlic cloves, crushed
- A thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated
- 1 green chilli, slit lengthways
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 × 400ml (13.5 fl oz) tin of coconut milk
- 100g (3.5 oz) green beans, topped and cut in half
- A handful of frozen peas
- 1½ limes, 1 quartered, to garnish
- Salt
To serve
- Cover the cashews with cold water and leave to soak for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Place the chunks of squash in a roasting tin, drizzle with veg oil and add a generous pinch of salt. Shake the tray so the chunks get evenly coated. Roast for 30-40 minutes, until the flesh is soft and the skin is golden brown. Set aside until ready to use.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat and add the cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom pods and bay leaves. Fry until the seeds are golden and aromatic. Add the onion and 1 teaspoon of salt and turn the heat down low to cook the onion really slowly. When the onion begins to soften – after about 5 minutes – add the garlic, ginger, chilli and fenugreek seeds, and cook until the onion is completely soft and caramelised (10-15 minutes in total)
- Turn up the heat and add the broccoli, the turmeric and the sugar, followed by a pinch of salt. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes until the broccoli is well coated with the onion mix and then pour in the coconut milk. Turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes until the broccoli is cooked through but still has some bite.
- While the broccoli cooks, make the cashew cream. Drain the cashews and tip into a blender. Pour in 80ml cold water and blitz until a smooth cream is formed. Add the cream to the pan, along with the roasted squash and the green beans, and cover the pan with a lid.
- While the beans cook, heat a small, dry frying pan on a medium heat and toast the leftover cashews until golden brown. Set these aside.
- Add the frozen peas and allow them to cook through, then take the pan off the heat and stir through the juice of ½ lime. Taste for seasoning. Serve in a bowl, topped with the toasted cashews and a wedge of lime
Recipes extracted from SpiceBox: 100 Fresh, Vegan Curry House Favourites by Grace Regan (Ebury Press £20) photography by Joff Lee and James Lee