Cashew Curry

This is a traditional Sri Lankan recipe – we replaced thin coconut milk with coconut liquid and thick coconut milk was replaced with the cashew cream. You could use this same trick to modify other recipes and add some coconut essence if you feel you want more of a coconut boost.

• 2 cups of raw cashews – soaked overnight in cold water and drained before use
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves finely chopped garlic or 2 tsp minced garlic
• Half teaspoon of grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon minced red chili
• Half teaspoon ground turmeric
• Half teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 strips of lemon rind
• 6 or 7 curry leaves (you can use 2 or 3 bay leave for a more Mediterranean flavour)
• 3 cups of desiccated coconut
• 3 cups boiling water

1. Make a coconut liquid by putting 3 cups of desiccated coconut in a bowl and covering with a similar amount of boiling water. After the water has reached room temperature, strain, pushing out as much of the water as possible. Use the liquid produced instead of standard coconut milk.
2. Place all ingredients except cashews, lemon juice and olive oil into a large saucepan and heat to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for around 10 minutes.
3. Add all but half a cup of the cashews to the pot. Return to a gentle simmer and cook for a further 30 minutes (covered) until the cashews are tender.
4. While the curry is cooking, place the reserved cashews, olive oil and lemon juice in a blender and process until they form a smooth cream (you may need to add a few extra tsp of water).
5. When the curry is ready, stir the cashew cream into the pot and cook on a low heat for 2 or 3 minutes.
6. Serve with rice and vegetables.