Kaju refers to cashew nuts and khumb refers to mushrooms in Hindi. This Indian style mushrooms in a cashew gravy is a fabulous way to flavor up any vegetarian night. It is a great addition to any stockpile of vegan and gluten free recipes. And a very simple one to whip up on a weeknight.
The Western way of making creamy sauces and gravies is by using flours, milk or heavy cream. In comparison, using seeds and nuts to thicken gravies is an age old Indian tradition. Here I have invoked that age old tradition and used cashew paste and boiled onion paste to create a creamy, silk-smooth gravy. I have kept the spice level minimal by adding just whole cumin seeds. The flavor profile you are looking for here is a creamy nutty gravy with some smokiness from the whole cumin seeds. I use Indian green chilies whenever I have access to them, but serrano or jalapeno peppers are good alternatives. And of course, like so many Indian food I finish off this dish with lots of fresh cilantro. It is imperative to use fresh cilantro here, do not substitute it with any other fresh herb. Cilantro compliments the flavors of cashews and cumin seeds and freshens up this entire dish.
I love mushrooms, give me any kind, any way and I will gorge on them. And I think this Kaju Wali Khumb is India’s answer to cream of mushroom soup.
Recipe
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
 | 1 pound white button mushrooms |
| 1 cup yellow onions, chopped |
| 1 inch ginger |
| 3 garlic cloves |
| 1 serrano or jalapeno pepper or 2 long Indian green chili |
| ½ cup cashew nuts |
| 1 teaspoon cumin seeds |
| ½ cup fresh cilantro |
| 2 tablespoons vegetable oil |
| 1 teaspoon ghee or coconut oil. If you want to keep it Vegan, using coconut oil |
| 2 cups of water |
| Instructions | |
|---|---|
| Wipe and clean the mushrooms with a wet cloth or paper towel and set them aside |
| In a small pot boil onions, ginger, garlic and pepper with a cup of water and cook till the vegetables are soft and most of the water has evaporated |
| Make a paste of the cooked onions, ginger and garlic, peppers in a food processor |
| Using 1 teaspoon ghee or coconut oil, saute the cashew nuts until they are lightly toasted and golden brown |
| Make a paste of the cashew nuts in a food processor. Add some water to make it a fine paste |
| Heat vegetable oil in a pan or karahi |
| Add the whole cumin seeds |
| As soon as the cumin seeds start popping in the hot oil, add the boiled onion paste and saute for about 3 minutes |
| Add the cashew nut paste and cook for another 3 minutes |
| Add the mushrooms and saute in the thick onion and cashew gravy for about 3 minutes |
| Add a cup of water |
| Cook until the mushrooms are soft and tender, the gravy has a thick consistency and the mushrooms have soaked up some of that delicious gravy |
| Remove from heat and add the fresh cilantro |
| Serve hot with steamed rice |
Note: To keep this meal vegan and gluten free, I serve it with rice. But any kind of bread like, naan, pita, French or sourdough will be great to sop up that amazing sauce.
Inspiration: Mushrooms getting a taste of my food heritage
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