Have you ever had a chance to taste Cashewnut Stew? It’s a thing of beauty, and you must make it a point to try some out if you haven’t already.
Similar to the Vegetable Ishtew of Kerala, Cashewnut Stew is a delightful gravy made with cashewnuts (of course!) in a coconut milk base. It is a mildly spiced, very flavourful concoction, the perfect accompaniment for fluffy appams that goes well with dosas and plain rice too. It is great for serving at breakfast (since you can then walk/exercise off all that richness!), but works for lunch or dinner too when you are feeling indulgent.
While holidaying in Chettinadu last year, staying at Mrs. Meenakshi Meyyappan’s gorgeous property, The Bangala, we were served Cashewnut Stew (‘Munthiri Paruppu Stew’ in Tamil) with the softest of appams for dinner. I fell in love with it, hard. I knew I had to learn how to make it. The Bangala Table, a painstakingly compiled book of recipes of the varied and wonderful food served at the restaurant, had just the recipe for it. I have made the stew at home many times since, and it has now become a family favourite. I am sharing the recipe here, in the hope that many of you will try out this beautiful stew and fall in love with it too, the way I did.
A Glimpse Into The Food Of Chettinadu & Cashewnut Stew
Apparently, The Bangala’s recipe for Cashewnut Stew has been adapted from the Sri Lankan Kaju Maluwa, a rich cashew-and-coconut-milk gravy often flavoured with curry powder and aromatics like pandan leaves, curry leaves and/or bay leaves. However, The Bangala version is simpler to put together, requiring just a few ingredients, as flavourful as it is.
The Chettiars, the locals of Chettinadu, were avid businesspeople who would travel to countries like China, Burma (now,Myanmar), Thailand, Sri Lanka and Indonesia for the purpose of trade. There are many foods from these countries that have found their way into the everyday cooking in Chettinadu homes, such as Sri Lankan sambol and Burmese black rice. I am guessing some Chettiars brought back tales of the fragrant Haath Maluwa they came across in Sri Lanka, and their wives adapted it to suit their family’s tastes. We took a guided tour of Chettinadu during our stay at The Bangala, and were told this was just how foods from different parts of the world ended up becoming integral parts of Chettiar households – so fascinating, eh?
I am so glad this amalgamation happened, for we would not have had so many lovely ‘adapted’ dishes otherwise!
Do check out the other Chettinadu dishes on my blog – Kondakadalai Kara Kozhambu, Chettinad Thakkali Soup and Vengaya Kose.
Ingredients Used In Cashewnut Stew
Cashewnuts are the star ingredient in this stew. Typically, store-bought cashewnuts are used, but I found these tender raw ones (with the skin on) at one of the Mangalore Stores we frequent (not sponsored), and instinctively knew I had to use them to make this stew! I cleaned the raw cashewnuts under running water, after which a dunking in hot water helped me remove the skins. The prepped cashews were soft, and just needed a brief time in the pan to soak in the gravy.
Coconut milk is the second major ingredient here. While you can make your own at home, I have used a store-bought carton from the Real Thai brand (not sponsored – check the ‘Tips & Tricks’ section of this post for details).
Tomatoes, onions, ginger and garlic are used to flavour the stew, apart from aromatics like green cardamom, cinnamon and curry leaves in some coconut oil. There is no curry powder used in this version, only salt and turmeric. Green chillies provide a mild heat to the stew, which can be increased based on your personal preferences.
How To Make The Bangala’s Cashewnut Stew
I have mostly stayed true to the original recipe, with a few little variations of my own. Here is how I went about making The Bangala’s Munthiri Paruppu Stew.
Ingredients (serves 2-4):
1. 1 cup tender raw cashewnuts
2. 2 medium-sized tomatoes
3. 1 medium-sized onion
4. 2 green chillies or to taste
5. A 1-inch piece of ginger
6. 4-5 cloves of garlic
7. A sprig of fresh curry leaves
8. 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
9. A small piece of cinnamon
10. 2 green cardamoms
11. Salt to taste
12. 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
13. 1 cup thin coconut milk
14. 3/4 cup thick coconut milk
Method:
1. Wash the tender raw cashewnuts well under running water, to remove all traces of dirt from them.
2. Heat about 2 cups of water till it comes to a rolling boil. Then, switch off gas and add the cashewnuts. Let them soak in the hot water for 15-20 minutes, then drain out the water and peel the cashewnuts – the skin will come off easily at this stage. Keep ready.
3. In the meantime, we will prepare the other ingredients required for the stew. Chop the tomatoes roughly. Grind to a puree. Keep aside.
4. Chop the onion finely. Cut the green chillies into large pieces. Peel the ginger and garlic cloves, and chop finely. Keep the curry leaves handy.
5. Heat the coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add in the cinnamon and green cardamom. Let them stay in for a couple of seconds.
6. Then, add the curry leaves and finely chopped ginger, garlic and onion to the pan. Turn the flame down to medium.
7. Cook on medium flame till the onions start browning, about 2 minutes.
8. Add the tomato puree and chopped green chillies to the pan at this stage. Add a little salt and turmeric powder. Cook on medium flame till the raw smell goes away, 3-4 minutes.
9. Add in a splash of water at this stage, along withe the peeled cashewnuts. Mix well.
10. Add the thin coconut milk to the pan. Keeping the flame at medium, cook for 3-4 minutes.
11. Next, add in the thick coconut milk. Mix well. Taste and adjust salt if required. You may also add in a little water if you feel the mixture is too thick, but do remember that it should not be too watery either. Let everything cook for about 2 minutes or till the mixture starts bubbling, then switch off gas. Your Cashewnut Stew is ready. Serve it warm with plain rice, or alongside appams, idlis or dosas.
More About This Munthiri Paruppu Stew
This is a completely vegetarian and vegan recipe, suited to those following a plant-based diet.
This is a gluten-free recipe as well.
You can skip the onion and garlic if you do not prefer using them, and the stew will still taste just as fabulous.
The stew is calorie-rich because of the large amount of coconut milk and cashewnuts used. It is best consumed in moderation.
Tips & Tricks
- I have used ready-made coconut milk here, from the Thai Heritage brand, which comes without any additives or preservatives (not sponsored). To make the thin coconut milk, I mixed 1/4 cup of coconut milk from the carton with 1/4 cup of water. The thick coconut milk I used from the carton as is. You may use home-made coconut milk instead, too.
- Adjust the quantity of green chillies you use, as per personal taste preferences.
- You may use the regular store-bought cashewnuts in place of the tender ones I have used here. In that case, simply soak them in boiling water for 15-20 minutes, then drain out the water and use them in the stew.
- Adjust the amount of water you use, depending upon the consistency of the stew you require. Remember that the stew should neither be too thick nor too watery.
- You may add in other vegetables too – carrots and green peas go well. However, I prefer to make this stew with only cashewnuts, the way it is served at The Bangala.
- You may garnish the Cashewnut Stew with finely chopped fresh coriander. I do not do so.
- Do not cook the stew for too long after adding in the thick coconut milk.
- Remember to cook the stew gently on medium heat only. This helps in preventing curdling and in enhancing the flavours of the ingredients.
- The Cashewnut Stew might thicken up with time. When this happens, add a splash of water and heat it up gently, just before serving.
- I have kept the cashewnuts whole, except the ones that split into two while peeling. I think whole cashews look and feel better in this stew, but you could use broken cashewnuts instead too.
- I think coconut oil goes best in this stew but, really, you could use any neutral-flavoured oil.
Did you like this recipe? Do tell me, in your comments!
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