Mushroom and Pea Creamy Masala
By the Gracious Vegan
This dish approaches the texture of a creamy korma. The spicing is simple, but the result is wonderful. The fenugreek spice is important to the flavor of this dish, so go online or to a local Asian market.
Makes 5 servings
Soak cashews in cold water at least 2 hours, or pour boiling water over them, cover, and let them soak 20 minutes while you start the rest of the recipe.
1/2 cups raw cashews
Water-sauté these ingredients in a Dutch oven until the liquid released by the mushrooms is evaporated and the mushrooms start to brown, 8-10 minutes. (What is water-sauté?)
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced, grated, or finely chopped
2 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 pound button mushrooms, sliced (or chopped, if you prefer)
Add the spices and stir 1-2 minutes.
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seed powder
Cayenne pepper for spiciness (I used 1/8 teaspoon but some like it hotter)
Add the diced green chili pepper and cook 1-2 minutes.
1 green chili pepper (jalapeno with seeds removed, or a spicier variety if desired), finely chopped
Separately, drain the cashews and place them in a blender with water 1 cup water and process until absolutely smooth and creamy.
Then add tomato paste to the blender and blend it with the cashew cream.
1/2 cup tomato paste
Add the cashew-tomato mixture to the Dutch oven along with the peas, salt, and additional water. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add additional water to achieve a desired sauce consistency.
1.5 cup peas (thawed or frozen)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water (or more)
Garnish with cilantro and serve over rice, other cooked grains, or with flatbread.
Fresh chopped cilantro for garnish
Timing: Hands-on time 40 minutes, total time 40 minutes
Nutritional information per serving (with 3/4 cup cooked brown rice): 321 calories, 6g fat, 1g sat. fat, 55g carbs, 263mg sodium, 8g fiber, 12g protein
Gluten-free