A uniquely flavorful way to enjoy cashew nuts; creamy, nutty, spiced Sri Lankan Cashew Curry that’s full of great flavor. Gluten free and vegan too!
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While Sri Lankan chicken curry is legendary (recipe coming soon!), curries from the island nation go way beyond just that. The vegetarian cuisine of Sri Lanka is also one that’s full of flavor and creativity. Growing up, my family would eat entirely vegetarian meals on one day every week, but even on other days our traditional rice and curry spreads would often feature vegetarian dishes. Plus, there was a phase when I was pescatarian and that made me appreciate vegetarian dishes a whole lot more.
One of the dishes that I would absolutely flip for as a kid was Cashew Curry (cashew nut curry). As it turned out, it’s one of Mr K’s all-time favorites too! We didn’t make it often, in fact it was a special occasion curry that made an appearance only on, well…. special occasions. My grandmother and mother both had a signature cashew curry dish that was just so creamy and flavorful. I have also made the crunchier version where the cashews still have some “bite” to them. I personally prefer the creamier version. This creamy cashew curry is pure comfort food that’s full of delicious flavor and spices (like Sri Lankan curry powder, turmeric and chili powder), plus it’s gluten free and vegan too!
It’s really easy to make, but you must have a little patience, grasshopper. The step where you soak the cashew nuts in salt water is really important – so don’t skip it. It plumps up the cashew nuts as they absorb the brine solution and leaves them well seasoned, inside and out! Otherwise it’ll be just bland cashew nuts floating in a flavorful curry sauce. For the sauce, use good quality coconut milk. Please read the label when buying coconut milk, because more often than not, you’re just buying water with coconut extract. You want the kind that has actual coconut milk in it (maybe with some guar gum as well that emulsifies the mix). This makes it so much creamier and more flavorful, and that’s crucial for a creamy cashew curry like this since the curry sauce is a critical component.
Traditionally, a Sri Lankan cashew curry is cooked with only cashew nuts, but some people also love to add peas! I don’t have a preference there, but Mr K does, so we add peas whenever we make this curry.
This Sri Lankan cashew curry is creamy, soft, nutty and spiced. We usually pair it with Sri Lankan spicy green apple curry (which is sweet, spicy and tangy) with some fried papadums for crunch. It’s vegan, and you’ll never miss meat with a spread that includes this dish. If you do like a meat curry however, check out this spicy black pork curry that’s smoky, tangy, peppery and of course spicy!
So go ahead and add this to your curry repertoire and wow your friends and family. Even kids LOVE this dish! How do I know? Because I used to be a fussy eater, but would NEVER pass up a chance to eat this! There’s a reason why a lot of people choose to roast their cashew nuts with curry powder, the flavors work really well. I hope you guys enjoy this cashew curry just as much as we do! 🙂
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Sri Lankan Creamy Cashew Curry (Vegan)
Ingredients:
- 300 g raw cashews
- 1 tsp salt for the brine
- ½ medium onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2½ tsp Sri Lankan curry powder
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp sugar
- 8 curry leaves if you can get your hands on them, OR 1 - 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 ½ cups good quality coconut milk
- 1 cup frozen peas you can add extra if you like (I prefer less peas in my cashew curry)
- Salt to taste
Instructions:
- Place the cashews in a bowl and cover with room temperature water. Add the salt and mix to dissolve. Cover and leave the cashews to soak overnight (up to 24 hours).300 g raw cashews, 1 tsp salt
- When you're ready to cook the cashews, drain them and set aside.
- Heat about a tbsp or two of oil (you can use coconut oil or a neutral tasting oil) in a medium-sized saucepan, over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onions and saute until translucent.½ medium onion
- Add the garlic, bay leaves/curry leaves and saute for a few minutes until it becomes fragrant.2 cloves garlic, 8 curry leaves
- Add the soaked and drained cashews, turmeric, curry powder, cayenne pepper, sugar and a generous pinch of salt and the coconut milk. Mix to combine.300 g raw cashews, 2½ tsp Sri Lankan curry powder, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, ½ tsp sugar, 1 ½ cups good quality coconut milk, Salt, ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- Cover and let it simmer for 45 - 50 minutes. Check from time to time to make sure there's enough liquid in the saucepan - add water if needed. Add salt to taste.Salt
- When the cashews are cooked, they should be firm on the outside, but not crunchy when eaten. They should be almost al dente in texture but be creamy when eaten.
- Add some water if the gravy is too thick (I add about ½ cup of water). Add the frozen peas and cook until the peas are heated and cooked through and the gravy is simmering - about 10 more minutes.1 cup frozen peas
- Serve warm with rice. This can be made a couple of days ahead and it actually tastes better on the second day. Leftovers can be reheated.
Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Maya Haidar says
Hi! I want to make this recipe for my family since my sister-in-law’s mom makes it and it’s delicious. I want to add boneless chicken breast for extra protein. Do I add more coconut milk or spices? How spicy is this recipe? Is it mild? I want to feed my toddler son this food as well so I don’t want it to be too spicy 🙂 thanks!
Dini says
Hi Maya
I have never added chicken to this dish before but that would be interesting!
However, please note that the flavor will change because of the chicken added. The flavor of cashew will be much less, though it still should be creamy!
This recipe is super mild for us, but we do have a higher spice tolerance. We have been eating this curry since we were little and haven’t had an issue with spices. If you are feeding it to your toddler, AND he isn’t big on spices, please feel free to leave the cayenne pepper out completely!
Maya Haidar says
Oh yeah that makes sense! In that case, I’ll be make the chicken separately and add it to each individual dish so that the creamy cashew curry won’t taste too different (I love it as it is). I will also omit the cayenne pepper. Thank you so much for the help, I can’t wait to make this yummy dish☺️
Raj says
Fantastic recipe. Made it many times and love it. Rcently I’ve changed it up a little by mixing unroasted and roasted curry power in a 1:1 ratio.
Sam Jay says
is it possible to just microwave the cashews in the brine solution to prepare them, rather than having to soak overnight?
Dini says
Hi Sam
The soaking of the cashews do two things. 1) It seasons the cashews by drawing in the salt in the water so that once they cook they are well seasoned.
2 ) the brine solution softens the cashews and cooking them will be faster.
Microwaving the cashews won’t do the same thing, because you’re essentially starting the cooking process in the microwave. It would be better for the cashews to cook in the curry rather than in brine in the microwave, But because they were not soaked, they will take longer to cook and achieve the creamy texture and the cashews may not as well seasoned.
I hope that helps
Devika says
Made this cadju curry.absolutely delicious !
Carryi says
Made the cashew curry absolutely delicious.
Ben says
I haven’t tried to make this yet but am at weekend, my question is can I freeze it for later?
Dini says
Hi Ben!
Absolutely you can!
I have very regularly made this and frozen it to eat later. You can reheat it in a saucepan or even in the microwave.
Hope that helps!
Julie says
Hi there, how many does this recipe serve?
Amanda Fernandopulle says
I loved this recipe! It is urned out beautifully and has been a hit with everyone who has tried it!
Shamara says
Hi… won’t the coconut milk curdle if kept for too long on heat?
Dini says
Hi Shamara
Yes, the coconut will split. This is sometimes desired for curries as it gives the coconut a different flavor. If you don’t want it to split, then you can add it at the end, and heat it until it simmers and it will keep the curry coconut heavy.
Hope that helps.
Jeff green says
First time making this my wife and I were very impressed by it even more so as I cooked it . Will definitely be doing it again.
Many thanks
Jeff
Gerrie says
Wow delish yum
Nip says
Hello Dini
I would love to try this curry but I don’t know where to find raw cashews. Can we try with store bought dry cashews?
Many thanks in advance
Dini says
Hi Nip
Raw cashew is what is more widely available in stores, and what you call dry cashews. The two types widely available are raw cashews (dried cashews) and roasted cashews (cashews that have been dry roasted (with heat and with or without salt).
I hope that helps!
Este says
Loved the simple and easy to make cashew curry
Susie pavey says
Delicious and so easy to make
Jennifer says
This was quite good. Needed to be jazzed up a bit, though. I added a bit more curry than called for in the recipe as well as a small can of chickpeas instead of peas. Nice balanced flavors, but on the mild side. I will make it again — would it be weird to add spinach?
Dini says
Hi Jennifer!
I’m glad you liked the recipe!
Could you let me know if you used the homemade curry powder linked in the recipe or a store-bought curry powder? Store-bought curry powder is usually weaker in taste than the recipe that I have provided, and may require more curry powder to be added.
Also, a cashew curry is a classic Sri Lankan dish that is meant to accompany spicier curries. So the spice levels should be low. The creamy cashews and curry sauce act to balance out spices in other curries. We usually don’t overcrowd this curry (my family prefers it without any additions), because we only want to taste the cashews and mildly spiced coconut milk, but you can add anything else if you like, even spinach! 🙂
Katie says
Hi, this sounds interesting. Can you recommend some other curries that typically would be served with it. Preferably vegan ones!
Thanks!
Dini says
Hi Katie
Here are some of the vegan curries on my blog. They all go with the cashew curry, but a good balance of creamy curries with sour curries and/or dry curries is a great way to balance the flavor.
Jackfruit curry
Beetroot curry
Apple curry
Mango curry
Green bean dry curry (use mushrooms as the vegan option)
pumpkin curry
mushroom curry
jackfruit croquettes
I hope that helps!
Zarina says
Loved this recipe, thank you!
Madhu Sharma says
I made it for the first time and my family loved it! Easy to follow instructions…..it will definitely be part of my weekly menu
Steve says
My wife is from Sri Lanka and my mother in law use to cook this dish but as now reached a point in he life were she can no longer cook found this recipe and it’s very close to hers very good
Rachel says
Fabulous recipe. I’m French and always make it for guests… they asked comment thru need to try more global cuisine after this. And so easy! Thank you!
Dini says
Thank you Rachel! SO glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Kate Howitt says
Hi
How many curry leaves do you use for the cashew curry?
Dini says
Hi Kate!
I usually use about 8 – 10 leaves, but if you’re not accustomed to the flavor of curry leaves, I would recommend using about 5 standard sized curry leaves (not the smaller leaves). I hope that helps!
Sammy Jo says
How many does this recipe serve? Trying it tonight!
Dini says
Hi Sammy!
This curry will serve 4 – 6 people 🙂
So glad that you’re trying this recipe. Let me know how it comes out!
Suba says
Very tempting curry Dini. Looks delicious. Can’t wait to try it.
Vidharshi says
I tried this recipe for the second time and it was so easy to make and turned out to be delicious!!! This recipe is amazing! Thanks Dini.
Michelle says
Dini- great dish!
I’m a huge fan of curry and this sounds fantastic!
Thanks
Michelle
Christine | Mid-Life Croissant says
Well, I am unfathomably hungry now. I rarely make curry which is weird because I love it so much. I just can’t decide to start with this cashew one or your apple one. And then the papadum! So scrumptious.