Cashew Cream Green Curry

The plant count in this dish will send you well on your way to your weekly 30. A top tip is to make more paste than you need and store the remainder in the freezer for a quick meal another day. I love the flexibility of this dish; the sauce is a great base for adding any veg and additional proteins of your choice, such as tofu, prawns or chicken.

SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS

For the cashew cream:

• 130g cashew nuts
• juice of 1 lemon

For the curry:

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 x 400g tin coconut milk
• 1 x 400g tin black beans and their liquid
• 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
• 200g green beans, roughly chopped
• 180g mangetout
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• salt and black pepper

For the curry paste:

• 100g coriander
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2 cloves
• 1 green chilli
• 50g ginger, roughly chopped
• 1 stalk lemongrass, bashed and tough outer leaves removed
• zest of 2 limes (reserve the zested limes for squeezing)
• optional top-up: kimchi

Swaps:

• cashew cream -> coconut milk
• black beans -> any other beans
• fish sauce -> soy sauce

METHOD

1. First make the cashew cream. Soak the cashews in 200ml water for 30 minutes.

2. Transfer the cashews and their water to a blender with the lemon juice and blend until smooth. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week. The cream may thicken slightly when cold – simply thin it out with a little water if necessary.

3. Then make the curry paste. Put the coriander, onion, garlic, chilli, ginger, lemongrass (if using) and lime zest into the bowl of a food processor and blitz until finely chopped.

4. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the paste for 3–4 minutes, stirring all the time. Add the coconut milk, the black beans and their liquid and 200ml of water and simmer for 5 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse.

5. Stir in the cashew cream and vegetables. Mix well and simmer for 5–7 minutes until the vegetables are tender but still a little crunchy.

6. Finish the curry with the fish sauce and squeeze over the reserved limes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with Pearls and Puy (page 149 of Food Food Life) or a rice of your choice.