Spicy Cashew Curry

Every week, Caroline Wright creates simple, civilized recipes for Food52 that feed four -- for under $20, in under 20 minutes.

Today: How to make cashews the star of dinner.

I’ve admitted before that I love a good vegetarian dish -- not for any other reason than I just like to mix it up a bit when it comes to quick dinners. I am surprised it has taken me this long to feature cashews -- because they are delicious, creamy, and filling when brought to the center of the plate.

This dish is an Indian stir-fry, essentially, which brings a ton of my favorite flavors to the table in an absolute flash: less than 10 minutes from start to finish. To get started, simply soak the cashews overnight to help them cook evenly and quickly the next day. If you can’t find curry leaves, opt for a handful of cilantro instead.

Spicy Cashew Curry

Serves 4

1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil or ghee
1 teaspoon mustard seeds, preferably brown
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
1 fresh hot green chile, sliced
1 package frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup curry leaves or cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons lemon juice

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here. 

As a freelance food writer and cook, I first wrote this style of recipe as a column on my blog, The Wright Recipes, as an excuse to cook good food for my friends in a quick and simple way. 

Twenty-Dollar, Twenty-Minute™ Meals grew into a cookbook that was published by Workman in May 2013. The recipes found here are original, made especially for Food52 to once again celebrate simple food with friends.

Photo by Caroline Wright