Cashew & Tomato Curry, Four Ways
First, make the cashew and tomato paste. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the remaining paste ingredients and cook for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have softened. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then use a mini food processor to blitz the mixture until smooth. Set aside.
To make the curry sauce, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves and bay leaves and cook for a few seconds. Throw in the onions and cook for 8–10 minutes, until the onions are golden. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.
Now add the tomato and cashew paste to the saucepan along with the measured boiling water and mix well. Cover the pan with a lid, reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes to allow all the flavours come together.
Once the cooking time has elapsed, stir in the salt, garam masala, ground coriander, chilli powder and cream, then keep the mixture warm until your chosen addition is ready to add to it.
With Eggs
8 eggs
¼ tsp of chilli flakes, to garnish
Boil the eggs for 12 minutes. Cool under the cold tap, then shell and quarter them. Gently add the egg quarters to the curry sauce and cook for 1 minute, then serve immediately, garnished with chilli flakes.
With Chicken
600g of skinless chicken breast fillets, cut into 2.5cm pieces
Shredded ginger, to garnish
Once the curry sauce is ready, add the chicken to the saucepan, cover the pan with a lid and cook for 15 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Serve immediately, garnished with shredded ginger.
With Fish
600g of cod fillets, cut into 2.5cm cubes
Sliced green chilli, to garnish
Once the curry sauce is ready, add the fish chunks to the saucepan, cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. Serve immediately, garnished with sliced green chilli.
With Potatoes
4 medium potatoes, peeled
A handful of cashew nuts, roughly chopped, to garnish
Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain the potatoes and set aside until cool enough to handle, then cut them into 2.5cm cubes. Once the curry is ready, add the potatoes, then cover the saucepan with a lid and cook for 2 minutes to finish. Serve immediately, garnished with chopped cashew nuts.
Chetna’s Healthy Indian by Chetna Makan is published by Mitchell Beazley, £20. Photography by Nassima Rothacker.
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