Vegan Sri Lankan Cashew Curry

If you don’t follow The Doctor’s Kitchen on Instagram then where have you been? Dr Rupy Aujla, NHS Doctor and bestselling cookbook author is on a mission to bridge the gap between nutrition and preventative medicine. With the release of this second book, The Doctor’s Kitchen, Eat to beat illness, Rupy has allowed us to share one of his delicious recipes from the book. His Vegan Sri Lankan Cashew Curry is warming, nutrient-dense and full of flavour. The best part is it’s incredibly easy to make!

I was lucky enough to travel to this beautiful and exotic country for the first time last year, however, I’d fallen in love with the food long before, when my good friend introduced me to the cuisine while at medical school. One of the first dishes I tried was this gorgeous cashew curry. Rich in flavour, this bowl of goodness pairs beautifully with simple brown rice but also tastes fantastic on its own. Cashews are a great source of resistant starch that releases sugar into the bloodstream much more slowly than potatoes or other starchy foods and helps boost our community of gut microbes.

INGREDIENTS – Serves 4

2 tbsp coconut oil

15g root ginger, peeled and grated

5gartic clove, grated or finely chopped

1 bay leaf

1 shallot, finely diced

8-10 curry leaves (optional)

6cm piece of lemongrass (tender base only), thinly sliced (optional)

3 tsp curry powder (Sri Lankan or regular)

250g unsalted cashew, soaked in water for 20 minutes, then drained

400g tin coconut milk

100ml hot water

400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed

100g sweetcorn kernels (frozen, fresh or tinned)

50g baby spinach

10g fresh coriander

finely chopped sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

Melt the coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, then add the ginger, garlic, bay leaf, shallot, cuny leaves and lemongrass (if using) and saute for 2-3 minutes until softened and lightly coloured.

Add the curry powder and drained cashews, along with a pinch each of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Add the coconut milk, hot water and chickpeas, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Add the sweetcorn and spinach, re-cover and cook for a further 2-3 minutes to gently cook the greens. Remove from the heat, stir through the coriander and serve.

VARIATIONS

Try peas instead of sweetcorn

Green radish leaves, chard or other leafy greens work well instead of spinach.

The Doctor’s Kitchen, Eat to beat illness (Harper Collins) is out now.

The Doctor's Kitchen eat to beat illness