Kaju Masala Subji
Creamy Subji made with cashews in onion-tomato sauce. Cashews roasted in ghee or butter are cooked with a sauce of onion, tomatoes, garlic and some spices to flavor. Perfect with parathas or naan.
What is Kaju Masala?
Kaju Masala is one of our favorite subji’s to make when I run out of ideas or vegetables. ‘Kaju’ means Cashew nuts. We make curries or subjis from cashews and it taste awesome. Kaju Masala is prepared in sauce of onion, tomato, ginger, garlic and cashews that lend creaminess to the dish. Then, ghee roasted cashews are added to the simmering sauce along with spices. It does require some vegetables. Sometimes, I would add in some of paneer too if I have it in the refrigerator. This recipe is like Khoya Kaju. I don’t always have Khoya on hand, so I make do without it. Khoya is reduced milk solids that add so much creaminess to the dish and it has slightly nutty sweet flavor.
It’s quick and very delicious dish to prepare. We love to make it alongside some hot triangle parathas.
If you feel fancy, have it with naan. Leftovers also make nice sandwiches.
How is it prepared?
Either whole cashews or broken pieces of cashews are roasted in ghee or butter. You can also use oil. Roasting takes away the raw taste from the cashews.
Then, quite popular Indian sauce base for lot of North Indian styles subji is prepared using onion, aromatics like garlic, ginger, green chilies and tomatoes by sautéing everything in some oil. Then by blending these ingredients to a sauce. I use cashews in the blend to make it rich and creamy without addition of any dairy.
Once the sauce is blended, bring it back to the pan and add spices like red chili, turmeric powder, garam masala, coriander-cumin powder and salt. After simmering the sauce for just few minutes, remember we already sautéed the vegetables before blending; so, it does not need too much time. Add the roasted cashews and mix. If you like you can garnish it with cilantro and add few tbsp. of cream or cashew cream.
I love how it’s creamy but also healthy at the same time. And cashews add nice textural contrast to the creaminess. If you have Khoya or mawa at home, then feel free to add it thawed and grate it. Khoya is not vegan.
Leftovers and Storage
Cashew Masala makes up for great leftovers. Infact, next day it tastes more better just like any other Indian subjis. I love to stuff them in between naan or sandwich bread and make sandwiches or stuff it with some salad in a wrap for office lunch. It works perfectly well.
It will also freeze well. But the cashew nuts will soften up and might not have the same crunchy texture.
Kaju Masala / Khoya Kaju
Ingredients
Cashew nuts
- 2 tbsp ghee or oil, divided
- 1 cup Cashew nuts
Sauce
- 1-2 tbsp oil
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1 inch piece ginger grated
- 1 green chili finely chopped
- 2-3 garlic cloves grated
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 tomatoes finely chopped
- 1 tsp fennel seeds optional
- 1/4 cup Cashewnuts soaked in water and blended into paste
Dry spices
- 1-2 tsp red chili powder depends on how spicy you want
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp coriander-cumin powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- salt to taste
- ½ tsp sugar optional
- 1 tbsp Kasuri Methi
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder
- Cilantro to garnish
Instructions
- In a pan, add 1 tbsp oil or ghee on medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the cashews and toast them until they have nice golden color to them. It will only take few minutes. Keep stirring. Once done, remove them.
- In same pan, add 1 tbsp oil, add cumin seeds, once cumin seeds splutter immediately add bay leaf and cinnamon bark. Add grated ginger, garlic, chili, and saute it. Add chopped onions, let them cook down and then add tomatoes. Cook them until they soften up, add dry spices and salt. Add coarsely crushed fennel seeds too.
- Add blended cashew nut paste. Add ½ cup water too if you want to thin out the sauce. If you like the consistency you see, its okay if you do not add water.
- Let it simmer for 5 mins. Add kasuri methi by roughly crushing into your palms to break down the leaves a little bit. Also add cardamom powder and sugar if you like. Reserve some roasted cashews for garnish if you like and add rest of the roasted cashew nuts in to the sauce that we left aside. Stir and its ready.
- Garnish it with fresh chopped cilantro and serve it over bed of jeera rice or with parathas.
Notes
- If you like smoother sauce, then blend the onion tomato mixture along with cashewnut paste and it will give you a smooth sauce.
- When I blend cashew nut separately, I reserve some of it to drizzle when I am serving the dish. (in pictures)
- You can skip whole spices if you like. If you add them, remove them just before serving so no one eats it by mistake. They are edible but no one likes to eat them.
- Spice level can be adjusted.
- Consistency of the sauce can also be adjusted to personal preference.
- If you like you can 1/3 cup mawa or khoya too.