Savory cashew and cardamom cream sauce
Indian food lovers will recognize this simmer sauce as korma, a well flavored and creamy nut-based sauce that can be made with almonds or cashews. Garam masala is the basis for the classic Indian flavor as are the high notes of cardamom, which is almost minty in taste. While you can process your own cashews into a butter or paste very easily, there are so many jarred cashew butters on the market it’s often easier to use one of these preparations. We call for cream in this sauce, but it can also be made with coconut cream, and it’s just as good. While this sauce is most classically used as a simmer sauce for chunks of boneless chicken, it is also excellent for mixed vegetables or pieces of firm fish like swordfish or catfish too.
Ingrediënten
MAKES: 480 ml
- 15 ml butter
- 1 small onion sliced thinly
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 6 g garam masala
- 3 green cardamom pods slightly crushed
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 360 ml Chicken Stock or water
- 167 g cashews processed into a paste with 60 ml water in a food processor or 120 ml almond butter
- 120 ml heavy cream or coconut cream
- ½ tsp salt or more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructies
- Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a large saucepan and add the onion.
- Sauté until the onion is golden brown, about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute more, then stir in the garam masala, cardamom pods and cumin.
- Stir well and sauté for another minute or until the spices release their aromas.
- Add the chicken stock or water and the cashew paste and whisk very well until the cashew paste is incorporated.
- Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring well once or twice more.
- Add the heavy cream and salt and simmer 10 minutes more.
- Season with black pepper to taste.
- Pour the sauce into a food processor or a heavy-duty blender and process until completely smooth.
- Return to the pot to reheat.
- Add boneless chicken or fish pieces to the sauce and cook until done.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
You can store the sauce in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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