Recently, my husband and I went to a fabulous Thai restaurant in Scottsdale. Mallee Thai serves a green vegetable curry with curried cashews. Of course, all the store-bought cashews are full of sugar and oil, so I decided to make my own oil-free curried cashew recipe.

WHY BUY ORGANIC NUTS?

First, I always buy organic raw nuts. Although I don't tend to be paranoid about what I eat, I have read enough to know nuts contain a lot of natural oils, which means they absorb pesticides like little sponges. Similar to the dirty dozen, all nuts, regardless of those with hard shells, are treated with pesticides harmful to humans, as well as other living creatures.

With that being said, organic nuts are expensive, but they are worth the money, in my opinion. In fact, I shop my shopping circulars every week in search of raw organic cashews, on sale, and buy them in bulk. Or, I purchase organic raw cashews, and other nuts in bulk online, if the price is competitive.

ROASTING NUTS AT HOME

Unlike roasted nuts you purchase in a store, raw nuts contain no salt or added oils. Instead, raw organic cashews, for example, look naked without any seasoning, and they are bland in taste. Adding a slightly sweet taste with curry to the curried cashew recipe not only enhances the flavors of the nuts but also doesn't add any fat or calories.

Because nuts already contain their own natural oils, I needed to find a sticky substance to toss my curried cashew recipe in prior to adding seasoning so it would stick. Despite trying many different options, I realized aquafaba might do the trick.

Also, I a sweet curry flavor, so I added a little maple syrup for sweetness. Similarly, I had to make sure I could get my seasoning to stick to my cashews. With aquafaba and a little maple syrup, the seasoning remained on the cashews, and the oil-free curried cashews roasted beautifully.

Actually, once I figured out how to roast the oil-free curried cashews, I plan to try roasted Thai almonds and spicy pecans. Stay tuned; I will definitely share the recipes, as well as my failures soon.

Surprisingly, the oil-curried cashew recipe is easy to make. Although I made these curried cashews for my Vegan Green Curry, they would also be good with Thai Red Curry Vegetables, Skinny Thai Curry Noodle Bowl, Easy Vegan Red Coconut Curry Stir Fry, Vegan Curry Pizza, or Vegan Curry Pizza.

WHY SOAK NUTS OVERNIGHT OR BOIL THEM BEFORE USING FOR DRESSINGS?

Not only does soaking raw cashews soften them to make them easier to blend, but it also releases enzymes to make the cashews easier to digest. Although this practice is not necessary for roasting, it does give you a reason for meal prepping ahead. If you don't have digestion issues, and you have a high-speed blender, most dressing or dips do not require soaking.

If you make a base Skinny Vegan Cashew Mayo recipe, you can make different sauces, dressings, and dips by altering the base recipe with spices and other flavors.

📖 Recipe