It’s cold, it’s January, it’s dark! Why not add some warm spices and exotic flavours to your dinner tonight & transport your tastebuds to Sri Lanka?

This curry recipe is really simple, quick to prepare and Veganuary friendly. It takes less than an hour (plus soaking the cashews) and is very little work. The flavours are very rich as the cashews and coconut are all really creamy but the spices cut through to make this one of those things you can’t stop eating.

I eat it with some fresh green chutney and pickle. It is also great to add some greens for extra vitamins & texture. Kale fried with garlic or shredded cabbage work really well for a seasonal veg kick.

• 300g cashews
• 2 tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 large onion
• 15 fresh (or dried) curry leaves
• 2 small green chillies – or any hot chilli
• 1tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground fenugreek
• ½ tsp. turmeric
• 1 large piece Cassia or cinnamon stick
• ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 can coconut milk
• 150 ml coconut cream
• ¼ tsp. curry powder
• ½ tsp. salt

Here is how to do it:

1. Soak the cashews in cold water for an hour before you start.
2. Thinly slice the onions.
3. Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan and add the onions, chopped chilli and curry leaves.
4. Cook these on a low heat for 45 minutes until the onion is softening and the curry leaves are really fragrant – basically until your whole house smells!
5. At this point chuck in the rest of the spices, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, cinnamon and the Cassia/cinnamon stick
6. Stir these around for a minute to release the aromas and then add the drained cashews.
7. Give everything a good stir for a couple more minutes and then you can add the coconut milk. Incorporate all the ingredients and leave them to simmer for 15-20 minutes until the consistency of the coconut milk has changed and it is thick.
8. Now add the salt and check the seasoning.
9. At this point you can let the curry sit for a while until you are ready to serve. I like to do this to develop the flavours.
10. When serving time comes, heat the curry and place the portions in serving bowls. Spoon some coconut cream over the top and dust with curry powder.

If you give this a try please leave a comment to let us know what you think of the recipe.