Just two ingredients, ridiculously easy to make, and full of innumerable culinary benefits, this cashew cream is every good cook's secret weapon!
When I lived in India, my friend Usha taught me some of the secrets of her amazing cooking. Chief among them was this... cashew cream.
It's the key to giving curries an amazingly creamy consistency, plus a hint of sweetness, without having to add any dairy, extra oil, or sugar. It really is a little miracle!
It also makes a great base for my ricotta, ice creams, truffles, and other treats. It's very versatile!
Cashew Cream
Is...
- creamy (duh!)
- smooth
- versatile
- sweet
- dairy-free
- gluten-free
- free from added sugar
- free from added fat
- nutritious
- totally deelish!
I add cashew cream to some of my vegan cheese recipes - again, it adds a lovely creamy richness. It's also great when blended with a couple of frozen bananas, for a banana-cashew ice cream, and is pretty darn fab in smoothies too.
It goes without saying that it's sooo good straight out of the pot.
Enjoy!
Have you ever made cashew cream? What do you use it for?
📖 Recipe
How To Make Cashew Cream
Instructions
- Place the cashews and the water into a saucepan, bring to the boil, and continue to cook for 20 minutes (make sure the cashews don't boil dry).
- Once soft, switch off the heat, and allow to cool for five mins or so.
- Either use an immersion blender directly in the pan, or place the cashews and cooking water into a high-speed blender, and blitz until smooth.
- Use in your favourite cream recipes.
- Kept in an airtight container, cashew cream will keep in the 'fridge for a couple of weeks.
- 1 cup = US cup = 240 ml
- 1 tablespoon = US/UK = 15 ml
- 1 fl oz = US = 30 ml
Ollie
Can I use cashews that I have soaked overnight instead of boiling them?
Nico
Absolutely, Ollie - just make sure you rinse the soaked cashews before using because they can get a bit slimy. xx
Corina
I love homemade curries and especially ones with that nutty flavour in the sauce! I will most definitely be pinning this recipe to make soon as I'd love to add some to one of my homemade curries.
Nico
Home-made curries are the best, aren't they, Corina? Cashew cream makes such a difference to them - I honestly don't know how I ever lived without it!