Make chicken curry instantly creamy and more delicious with simple ingredient - not cream
As an Indian who frequently cooks Indian food, there's one secret ingredient that can instantly transform your curry for the better - mum approved.
As an Indian who frequently cooks Indian food, especially different types of chicken curries, I have learnt a couple of tricks over the years, all thanks to my mum. With decades of cooking knowledge and secret hacks passed down to her from generations, my mum has an unmatched arsenal of tips and tricks. She is also, by far, the best cook I know.
It’s no wonder then, that a secret hack she taught me years ago on how to make chicken curry creamier and more delicious without adding cream, has also been endorsed by Michelin-starred chefs and food writers around the world. Indian cooks (and well-known restaurants) have a secret ingredient up their sleeves when it comes to making curries creamier, and no, it’s not actually cream.
Read more: I make curry tastier and creamier by adding in simple ingredient my family loves
Read more: Curries will be tastier and full of flavour if you add sweet ingredient
The magic ingredient happens to be: cashew nuts.
Cashew nuts — and not dairy — are often the ‘secret ingredient’ that introduces a creamy flavour and texture into Indian curries.
The trick is to soak these nuts, ideally for a couple of hours or overnight if possible, then lightly roast them before blending and grinding them into a paste. This paste then needs to slowly be added into your curry sauce to give it a richer, creamier flavour, a denser texture, and a luxurious, silky mouthfeel — all signs of a smashing curry.
Cashew nuts exhibit a natural sweetness which balances out the intense spices in curries, adding a depth of flavour, layering and complexity most cooks aspire to.
When to add cashew nuts in your curries
For a basic and mild tomato-based chicken curry, your cashew nut paste can be added in right before you would normally put in your meat — this would be after all the base ingredients (onions, cumin, garlic, ginger, chillies, tomatoes) and spices have been sautéed and cooked, till it all transforms into the mushy ‘masala’ paste which comprises the base of your curry.
My mum’s pro tip is to ensure you keep stirring constantly while adding in the cashew paste, as cashews have a tendency to burn quite quickly if not monitored properly and left on a high flame without supervision.
For a curry like butter chicken, there are two ways through which cashew nuts can be introduced into the dish.
First up is the ‘easy’ method according to my mum — this would mean you add boiled cashews in the blender right at the start — alongside your sautéed onions, tomatoes, and water — and blend till you get a paste/puree with a smooth and velvety consistency.
Another method, and the one which my mum personally prefers, is to sauté all the base ingredients in one pan, namely, onions, ginger, garlic, and cashews, till they are a nice, light brown colour.
Then, you remove the mix and set it aside, and in the same pan, add in your whole tomatoes (sliced in halves) and cook them till they are nice and mushy and their peels are able to come off easily.
Lastly, you grind everything together, and finally run it through a sieve to ensure perfect consistency and texture. This paste/puree then forms the base in which you add water and cook your chicken.
Benefits of cashew nuts
These blitzed nuts are a total game changer when it comes to Indian curries, and not only are they delicious, but they have several health benefits too.
According to Melissa Mroz-Planells, DCN, RDN, a nutritionist in Seattle, Washington, and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics — cashews are good for you.
Mroz-Planells tells WebMD: “A handful of these little half-moon-shaped critters gives you protein, healthy fats, fibre, and various vitamins and minerals. They're also rich in polyphenols, a type of antioxidant that helps to ramp down overall inflammation in your body.”
In fact, according to WebMD, if eaten in moderation, cashew nuts have shown promise in lowering cholesterol, risk of heart disease, stroke risk, and even contributed towards diabetes prevention and management, and increasing immunity.
Who knew these inconspicuous little seeds (yes, they are technically seeds, not nuts) could be so good for you?
It's important however, to remember that moderation is key, as cashews are high in calories and eating too many may lead to weight gain.
