I made this simple but extremely delicious & creamy Kaju Masala as part of the birthday lunch for my husband a few days ago. After putting together an elaborate celebration birthday cake – Eggless Gulab Jamun cake and making Gulab Jamuns from scratch, I wanted to make a simple platter but the one that is slightly different from the usual. As luck would have it, I was out of paneer or mushrooms or even eggs! And I should say that I did not think of it in advance. A quick glance through the fridge, the only exotic ingredient I could find was a pack of cashew nuts. For the average middle-class person in me, I would think twice before making a Kaju masala with a lot of cashews but then this is once-in-a-while indulgence and I gave in.
The Kaju Masala is a rich, creamy gravy made with a base on onions and tomatoes, very similar to that of Paneer Butter Masala. Unlike the butter masala where I add a little more onions compared to the tomatoes, I chose to keep this creamy cashew curry slightly tangy by adding equal quantity of tomatoes and onions. I usually cook or sauté the onion tomato mixture either in microwave or in stove top depending on how much time I have. Microwaving requires no zero oil and it is one of the easiest ways to reduce the effort as well as cut short calories if you are looking for ways to reduce oil in-take. In this recipe though, I took some additional time to sauté the onions and tomatoes, which gives additional flavor to the curry.
Kaju Masala recipe is calorie-rich, obviously. Apart from roasted cashews in the curry, I also add cashews for making the onion tomato curry base. To make it richer and creamier, I also added a teaspoon of fresh cream. This is strictly going to be a yearly indulgence in my kitchen, given how rich and expensive this creamy cashew curry is. The last I made this was 3 years ago and that’s why when I chose to make it again a few days back, I had regrets and went full in without skipping any ingredient or making healthy swaps.
Skip roasting cashews and add them directly to the gravy. Swap fresh cream to a dash of a milk, which gives the creaminess without adding additional calories. Skip cashews as part of the curry base. Instead of sauteing the onions and tomatoes, boil them in a small amount of water until soft. Use regular cooking oil instead of butter to make the gravy.
📖 Recipe
In a thick bottomed pan heat 2 teaspoon oil and roast 15-20 cashews until golden. Remove and set them aside.
In the same pan, add 2 medium onions and 3 medium tomatoes roughly chopped along with 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste and 4-5 whole cashews.
Sauté and cook them until onions and tomatoes are soft & mushy. Remove from heat and cool it down completely.
Grind into a smooth paste without adding any water. Set aside.
In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon butter. Add ½ teaspoon shahi jeera and 1-2 green chillies slit.
Now add the prepared onion tomato paste, add some water as needed and cook for a couple of minutes.
Next add ½ tablespoon Kashmiri red chilli powder, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon garam masala powder, 1 teaspoon sugar and salt as needed.
Cook the curry on low flame for 7-8 mins until it gets thick and creamy. Now add 1 teaspoon fresh cream (alternatively use a dash of milk) and mix well, cook for a couple of minutes.
Add roasted cashews and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. Switch off the heat.
Serve hot with rotis, naan, phulka, kulcha or any other Indian flat bread. I served it with Jeera Rice and Rumali Rotis, with a side of sliced onions & lemon wedge.
Adjust spices as per preference. Instead of cashews, you can use paneer or mushrooms or even mixed vegetables too.
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