Curry — Recipe 32 of 60
Cashew & Vegetable Curry
A rich, creamy plant-based curry that uses cashews both inside the sauce and as a topping — creating layers of texture and flavor that make this dish genuinely memorable. Deeply aromatic, naturally sweet from the cashews and warming from the spices. Serve with rice or flatbread for a complete, satisfying meal.
Nutrients (per serving)
- Calories
- ~520kcal
- Protein
- ~18g
- Carbs
- ~54g
- Fat
- ~26g
Ingredients
What you need
- 0160g split cashews, divided (40g for sauce, 20g toasted for topping)
- 023 tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted
- 032 tbsp sunflower seeds, toasted
- 04400ml coconut milk
- 05200g firm tofu or chickpeas
- 061 medium sweet potato, cubed
- 071 medium zucchini, sliced
- 081 handful of spinach
- 091 medium onion, finely diced
- 103 cloves garlic, minced
- 111 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 122 tbsp coconut oil for cooking
- 131 tsp turmeric powder
- 141 tsp cumin powder
- 151 tsp coriander powder
- 161 tsp garam masala
- 171 tsp chili flakes (optional)
- 18Salt to taste
- 19Fresh coriander and lime to garnish
- 20Steamed rice or flatbread to serve
Instructions
How to make it
- 01
Soak 40g of cashews in water for 30 minutes, then drain and blend with 100ml of coconut milk until completely smooth to make cashew cream. Set aside.
- 02
Toast remaining 20g of cashews in a dry pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until golden. Set aside for topping.
- 03
Toast pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds together in the same pan for 3 minutes until golden. Set aside.
- 04
Heat coconut oil in a large pan or wok over medium heat.
- 05
Add onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
- 06
Add garlic and ginger and stir fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
- 07
Add turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala and chili flakes and stir for 30 seconds to toast the spices.
- 08
Add sweet potato cubes and stir well to coat in the spiced oil. Cook for 3 minutes.
- 09
Pour in remaining coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes until sweet potato is almost tender.
- 10
Add tofu or chickpeas and zucchini and cook for another 5 minutes.
- 11
Stir in the cashew cream and spinach and cook for 2 minutes until spinach is wilted and the sauce is rich and creamy.
- 12
Season with salt and adjust spices to taste.
- 13
Serve over steamed rice or with flatbread, topped with toasted cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and fresh coriander with a squeeze of lime.
The science
Why it's good for you
Blending cashews into the curry sauce is a traditional technique used across South Asian cooking that creates a naturally creamy, dairy-free sauce without any artificial thickeners. Cashews provide heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, magnesium and iron while adding a subtle sweetness that balances the warm spices beautifully. Turmeric contains curcumin, one of the most researched anti-inflammatory compounds in nutrition, which is significantly more bioavailable when consumed with fat — exactly what the cashews and coconut milk provide. Pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds on top add zinc, magnesium and vitamin E as a final nutritional flourish. A deeply nourishing, anti-inflammatory meal that tastes like a treat.