Last week's Creamy Cashew Korma turned out pretty well. The only thing it was missing was a bit of kick so I spiced it up with some [read:LOTS of] red chili pepper flakes. When making Indian dishes at home I never feel as though I get the same intense flavour of real Indian food so I usually double or triple the spice measurements (certainly did that here).
I also discovered that I do not enjoy okra. Its a squash type veggie that proved to be too slimy for my liking. Maybe the bunch that I grabbed were just not fresh enough because I have had okra in Indian dishes before and not noticed this texture problem. In the future I'll likely sub the okra for green beans or diced yam. Here is the recipe from The Best of Rose Elliot.
I also discovered that I do not enjoy okra. Its a squash type veggie that proved to be too slimy for my liking. Maybe the bunch that I grabbed were just not fresh enough because I have had okra in Indian dishes before and not noticed this texture problem. In the future I'll likely sub the okra for green beans or diced yam. Here is the recipe from The Best of Rose Elliot.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
50g (2oz) cashew nuts
400ml (14fl oz) coconut milk
400ml (14fl oz) water
small handful of curry leaves (optional)
175g (6oz) okra, topped and tailed
250g (8oz) cauliflower florets
250g (8oz) broccoli florets
salt and pepper
chopped coriander leaves, to garnish
Method:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
50g (2oz) cashew nuts
400ml (14fl oz) coconut milk
400ml (14fl oz) water
small handful of curry leaves (optional)
175g (6oz) okra, topped and tailed
250g (8oz) cauliflower florets
250g (8oz) broccoli florets
salt and pepper
chopped coriander leaves, to garnish
Method:
- Heat the rapeseed oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, cover and fry for about 10 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the garlic, turmeric, cumin and ground coriander, and cook for a minute or two longer.
- Grind the cashew nuts to a powder in a coffee grinder, food processor or using the fine grater in a hand mill. Add them to the pan, along with the coconut milk.
- For a really smooth sauce, you can now purée the whole lot in a food processor or blender (or use a stick blender in the saucepan) or, if you prefer some texture, leave it as it is.
- Return the mixture to the pan, if you’ve puréed it, and add the water and curry leaves, if using. Leave to simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring from time to time, until thickened.
- Just before the sauce is ready, put the okra, cauliflower and broccoli into a pan containing a depth of 5cm (2 inches) boiling water. Cover and cook for about 6 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and add the vegetables to the korma, stirring gently. Season with salt and pepper.
- You can serve this at once, but if there’s time, let it rest for a while – even overnight – for the flavours to intensify. Then gently reheat. Scatter with coriander before serving and serve with hot white basmati rice.