The quantities can easily be changed – I ALWAYS put in more cumin seeds and cashew nuts because I love them. My husband would ALWAYS put in more chilli because he loves that. Just experiment – we have never managed to ruin this curry yet no matter how hard we try! Serves 4 (depending on how many cashews you put in!). You may have to add more fluid at the end, this recipe really is very forgiving of quantities. It is based on a peanut curry recipe in an old Indian cookbook by Jack Santa Maria.
2 onions, chopped
2 tbsp ghee or oil
1 cup grated coconut
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp chilli
½ tsp ground coriander
225g raw, unsalted cashew nuts
1 tin tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp soft brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup hot water
Fry the onions in the ghee or oil till golden.
Grind the coconut with poppy seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric, coriander and chilli to make a paste (I’ve never managed to get to the paste stage yet, just add it to the pot when you want!). Add the paste to the onions and fry for a few minutes.
Stir in the nuts, tomatoes, sugar and salt.
Fry for a further two minutes and add a cup of hot water.
Cook gently till the nuts are tender.
