When we switched from 95% to 100% plant-based diet about a month ago, I thought Indian food would continue to be a great option for us.
And then I quickly realized that it was a bit trickier than I initially thought.
Yes, there are dishes that are flavorful not because of the meat but because of rather a wonderful use of spices.
However, many of our favorite Indian dishes contained some kind of dairy products, like cheese, yogurt and cream.
Then I realized that I could use something else besides cream to make an Indian butter dish.
I use cashew nuts for other things where I would have used mayo, yogurt, or sour cream, so I decided to use cashew cream to see how it goes.
The result was awesome!
We got all the wonderful flavors from a mix of spices, but we also got the creaminess that we were looking for.
I have to say I really didn’t miss anything, meat or dairy cream.
This is going to be one of our go-to Indian dishes; although it will be hard to find an Indian restaurant who makes vegan butter curry…
There are pretty plates that do not look that good when food is served on, and then there are not-that-pretty plats that make any food look good.
This is one of that latter kind of plate (or I should say bowl in this case), and I absolutely love it.
I happened to find it on eBay many years ago, and it’s still one of my favorite dishes.
1/3~1/2 cup cashew nuts
hot water
canola oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped ginger
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cauliflower, cut into bite sizes
salt and pepper
1/2~1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2~1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon cumin
2 cinnamon sticks
2 bay leaves
water
1 can (28oz) whole tomatoes, pureed
1/2~1 can (6oz) tomato paste
sugar
salt and pepper
chopped cilantro or parsley
1. Soak cashew nuts in hot water that barely covers the nuts for 15~20 minutes.
2. Sautee garlic and ginger in oil. Add onion and continue to cook for another few minutes. Add cauliflower and continues to cook. Salt and pepper.
3. Add garam masala, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon sticks, and bay leaves. Mix well.
4. Add water to barely covers the vegetables. Boil and then turn down to low heat. Continue to cook until the cauliflower is cooked through.
5. Add pureed tomatoes, tomato paste, and sugar. Mix well.
6. Puree the cashew nuts until smooth and creamy. Add the cashew cream to the curry. Salt and pepper. Serve with chopped cilantro or parsley.
