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kaju masala in a serving bowl

Kaju Masala (No Onion No Garlic) / Cashew Curry

By Jigna
This Kaju Masala curry is super creamy, rich, packed with flavors, and hard to resist! The delicious curry is made with ghee-roasted cashews in tomato-cashew gravy with Indian spices and herbs.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Cuisine Indian
Course Main Course
Diet No Onion No Garlic, Vegetarian
Servings 4

Video

Ingredients
  

For The White Paste

  • ¼ cup cashews
  • 2 tablespoon melon seeds
  • ½ cup hot water (for soaking)
  • ¼ cup milk

For Frying The Cashews

  • 2 tablespoon ghee
  • 1 cup (160g) whole raw cashews

For The Kaju Masala

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1- inch cinnamon stick
  • 2 green cardamoms
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ¼ tsp asafoetida
  • 2 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
  • ⅓ cup finely chopped celery (optional)
  • 3 medium tomatoes crushed or finely chopped
  • Salt to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 2 teaspoon red chili powder or add to taste
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • Prepared white paste
  • ½ cup water or as required
  • Fried cashews
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon Kasoori methi
  • 2 tablespoon cream
  • 2 tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves

Instructions
 

Making The White Paste

  • Soak cashews and melon seeds in hot water for 15 minutes. Then drain the water and transfer soaked cashews and melon seeds into a blender jar.
  • Add milk and blend the mixture into a fine paste. Add a little more milk if required for the blending. Set it aside.

Frying The Cashews

  • Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan or Kadai and add cashews. Fry the cashews on low-medium heat until golden brown.
  • Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cashews into a bowl or plate. Set them aside.

Making The Kaju Masala

  • After frying the cashews, there will still be ghee in the pan. So, heat the same pan and add a tablespoon of oil.
  • Add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and green cardamoms, and saute for a few seconds or until aromatic. Then, add cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle.
  • Add ginger and asafoetida, stir well, and saute for a few seconds.
  • Add chopped celery and cook on medium heat for two minutes. Then, add crushed tomatoes and stir well.
  • Cook the tomato mixture and allow it to simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, and coriander powder. Mix well and continue cooking for 8-10 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring often.
  • Now add white paste to the tomato gravy and stir well. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the gravy on low-medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The gravy will become thick and release fat from the sides.
  • Add fried cashews and ½ cup of water and mix well. You can add more water to adjust the consistency of your preference. Continue cooking the Kaju Masala for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add garam masala, Kasoori methi, coriander leaves, and cream, and stir well. Cook for a minute, turn off the heat, and transfer to a serving bowl.
  • If desired, sprinkle some Kasoori methi and drizzle cream on top of the curry. Serve Kaju Masala with Naan, Paratha, Roti, or Jeera Rice.

Notes

  1. White Paste: Kaju Masala is a rich and creamy curry. Hence, we need to use cashews for the gravy as well. So, do not shy away from using ¼ cashews for the white paste.
  2. Melon Seeds: If you do not have melon seeds, you can add blanched almonds. Or, add one large celery stalk with cashews to make the paste.
  3. Cashews: We fry the raw cashews in the ghee in this recipe. But you can also use store-bought unsalted and roasted cashews. Then, skip the step of frying the cashews and start with the next step. Also, instead of frying them in the ghee, you can dry roast the raw cashews in a pan on the stovetop. Or, use an air fryer or oven to roast the cashews.
  4. Tomatoes: I have crushed the tomatoes in the food processor for the chunky gravy. But if you like smooth gravy for Kaju Masala, blend the tomatoes into a fine puree. 

Nutrition (Approximate Values)

Calories : 368kcalCarbohydrates : 17gProtein : 9gFat : 32gSaturated Fat : 10gPolyunsaturated Fat : 5gMonounsaturated Fat : 15gTrans Fat : 0.03gCholesterol : 29mgSodium : 25mgPotassium : 462mgFiber : 3gSugar : 5gVitamin A : 579IUVitamin C : 7mgCalcium : 66mgIron : 4mg
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