Kaju Curry or Restaurant Style Shahi Kaju Curry is a rich, delicious, creamy, and flavourful delicacy from Punjabi cuisine. In this curry, roasted cashews are slowly cooked in a spicy, creamy, and silky onion tomato-based gravy. A perfect side dish for a vegetarian meal.
A bite full of this curry with some paratha would satiate all your senses that you wouldn’t stop until you are full.
Decorate with edible blooms for a pop of color and delicate floral flavor in your vegetarian creations.
Table of contents
Made with simple ingredients, this curry gets done in just 35 minutes when made from scratch!
Goes perfectly well with naan, paratha, puri, roti, or even with jeera rice. For a festive and luxurious lunch or dinner, add this curry to any thali!
This simple, easy, and classic Shahi Kaju Curry (Cashew Curry) is everything you need in a weekend meal. It might be one of my favorite curries, and I make sure to eat this at a local restaurant at least once during my every visit to India. I just love this.
Or maybe I should say this is one of such curries which I can eat on any day of the year. Yes, you can say that I am quite obsessed with this curry. Just try this curry once and you’ll know why I am so obsessed with this.
On this page, learn How To Make Restaurant Style Shahi Kaju Curry | Cashew Curry recipe | Kaju Masala (काजू करी) with simple step-by-step photo and video instructions.
About Kaju Curry
Kaju is a Hindi word for cashew, hence it is named Kaju Curry or Cashew Curry (काजू करी). Since it is a creamy curry it is also known as Kaju Butter Masala or Kaju Masala.
Made with rich and flavourful ingredients, this Kaju curry sauce has a rich, spicy, tangy, and mildly sweet taste similar to paneer butter masala.
This curry is an extravaganza of flavors and textures when whole ghee-fried cashews are coated in creamy, spicy, and flavorful curry!
It’s easy, healthy, and packed with almost everyone’s favorite nut, cashewnut. And you don’t need any other ingredients for the base of this curry — only cashews are needed to create the magic.
Just like paneer tikka masala, paneer korma, and Kadai paneer, this curry is also loved by people of all age groups.
Making this curry is very simple and quick. You can whip up this curry in just 35 minutes when you have sudden guests at home. This is a restaurant-style recipe, so you can serve it at parties and get-togethers.
Since it is a rich curry, it can also be added to any weekend or festive meal. Talking about weekend meals, this weekend we have some guests coming home for dinner, and my menu is certainly going to have Kaju curry.
For an exotic festive or party meal, serve it with some paneer pulao, dal makhani, lachha paratha, bread malai roll, and boondi raita.
This recipe of Restaurant Style Shahi Kaju Curry aka Cashew Curry makes an effortless and delicious comfort food. The recipe is also called ‘Kaju Butter Masala’. A perfect side dish for a vegetarian meal.
There are two versions of this Kaju masala curry. Tomato-based red gravy or white khoya-based gravy. Today I am sharing the one which is made with tomato-based gravy.
Some other delicious and flavourful curries you may also want to try are: Punjabi Baingan Bharta, Roadside Eatery Style Malai Kofta Curry, Egg Drop Curry Recipe, Black Eyed Bean Zucchini Peach Curry, Baked Mushroom Spinach Kofta Curry, and Almond Peas Curry.
This Kaju Curry
✓ is an easy-to-make curry
✓ tastes delightful
✓ is perfect for festive or party meals
✓ is rich, creamy, and flavorful
✓ is made from scratch
✓ is gluten-free and vegetarian
✓ can also be made vegan
Other awesomely mouthwatering Punjabi recipes I love:
What is Restaurant Style Shahi Kaju Curry
In this curry, roasted cashews are slowly cooked in a spicy, creamy, and silky onion tomato-based gravy. Due to cashews, this curry is quite heavy and rich, thus this is usually made for celebrations and special occasions.
The rich and smooth texture comes from ground cashews + cashew cream and ghee. So simple and fast, and so amazingly flavorsome.
Serving Suggestion
You might be wondering how to serve this Restaurant Style Kaju Curry. I have got you covered. Restaurant Style Kaju Curry tastes super delicious curry that can be served with steamed rice, matar pulao, garlic naan, tandoori roti, paratha, chapati, Amritsari aloo kulcha or any other flatbread of your choice.
Tips, tricks, and variations to make the Best Shahi Kaju Curry
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To get the restaurant-style taste, I added kitchen king masala to the sauce. Yes, this masala creates an enormous difference. However, if you don’t have kitchen king masala then simply add the same amount of sabji masala or just omit it.
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Adding a little sugar balances the spicy and tangy flavors of this curry. If you don’t want it sweeter, then avoid adding any sugar. You can also add healthy sugar alternatives such as honey or maple syrup.
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Adding Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves) really shines the flavor of this curry so it is highly recommended.
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For making tomato puree, use tomatoes that are ripe and less tangy. Adding tangy tomatoes would make the sauce sour. You can also swap homemade puree with store-bought tomato puree.
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Cashews – I used whole cashews for this recipe, but you can also use broken cashews.
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To make this curry shahi (royal), I am using roasted cashews, but you can also add cashews without roasting them. However, if you cannot compromise on taste like me, then adding roasted cashews and ghee is a good idea.
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If you want to make this curry hot, increase the number of green chilies. Or if you want it less hot then swap red chili powder with the Kashmiri red chili powder.
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To give this curry a rich texture, I have added a teaspoon of ghee at the end, but adding ghee is entirely optional here.
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Cashew is the star ingredient of this dish. So make sure the cashews you are using are organic and fresh. Don’t use old or rancid ones, they will spoil the taste of curry.
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This curry is semi-thick. If you want it thinner, simply adjust the consistency of the curry by adding more water.
Let’s now learn How To Make Restaurant Style Shahi Kaju Curry | Cashew Curry recipe | Kaju Masala (काजू करी)
Restaurant Style Kaju Curry - Cashew Curry - Kaju Masala (Step-by-step photo instructions)
Roasting Cashews:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee or oil in a pan.
- Add cashews and roast them on medium heat till they are golden brown in color. Stir continuously till it becomes nice golden brown.
- Once done, drain and transfer them to a bowl. Keep them aside.
How To Make Shahi Kaju Curry:
- Add 2 tablespoons of oil or ghee to the same pan.
- Once the oil is hot enough, add bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon stick, dried red chili, star anise, black cardamom, peppercorns, ginger garlic paste, and sauté sauté for a minute.
- After that, add onion paste and stir well.
- Saute until onion paste is golden in color. This would take about 6-7 minutes.
- Once the onions are cooked, add tomato puree and Stir well.
- Cook covered for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Now, add red chili powder, kitchen king masala, coriander powder, turmeric powder and ground cashews, and stir well. Let them cook for 2 minutes.
- Add water and stir well until combined. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add in Kasuri methi, salt, sugar, garam masala powder, roasted cashews, and mix well.
- Add more water 1/4 needed, cook covered again for 5 minutes.
- Now, add cashew cream or milk cream and mix everything well.
- Cook for another minute and remove from heat. Add ghee and stir well.
- Transfer kaju curry to a serving bowl and garnish with coriander leaves, cream, and cashews.
- Serve hot with paneer naan or paratha.
Recipe Card
Restaurant Style Kaju Curry - Cashew Curry - Kaju Masala [Recipe]
★★★★★
(Rating: 4.9 from 760 reviews)
| Prep time 🕐 | Cook time 🕐 | Total time 🕐 |
|---|---|---|
| 35 mins | ||
| Category ☶ | Cuisine ♨ | Serves ☺ |
| Sides | Indian | 4 |
| Nutrition Info ⊛ | Serving size ⊚ | |
| 190 calories | 1 Serving |
INGREDIENTS
For Roasting Cashews:
- Cashew nuts / kaju - 1 cup
- Ghee or oil - 1 tablespoon
For Gravy:
- Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Bay leaf / tej patta - 1
- Cloves / laung - 4
- Cinnamon stick / dalchini - 1 inch
- Dried red chili / sukhi lal mirch - 1
- Star anise / chakra phool - 1
- Black cardamom / moti elaichi - 1
- Peppercorns / kali mirch - 4
- Boiled onion paste - 1/2 cup
- Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tablespoons
- Freshly pureed tomatoes - 1 cup
- Ginger chopped roughly - 1/2 inch
- Green chilies chopped roughly - 2 small
- Kitchen king masala - 1 tablespoon
- Red chili powder / lal mirch powder - 1 teaspoon
- Turmeric powder / haldi powder - 1/2 teaspoon
- Coriander powder / dhania powder - 1 teaspoon
- Garam masala powder - 1/2 teaspoon
- Ground cashew - 4 tablespoons
- Water - 1/2 cup or more if required
- Salt to taste
- Sugar - 1 teaspoon
- Ghee - 1 teaspoon
- Crushed kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) - 1 1/2 tablespoons
- Cashew cream or fresh cream - ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon for garnish (you can also use fresh milk cram aka malai)
- Cilantro / coriander leaves, chopped - 1 tablespoon
INSTRUCTIONS:
Roasting Cashews:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee or oil in a pan.
- Add cashews and roast them on medium heat till they are golden brown in color. Stir continuously till it becomes nice golden brown.
- Once done, drain and transfer them to a bowl. Keep them aside.
How To Make Shahi Kaju Curry:
- Add 2 tablespoons of oil or ghee to the same pan.
- Once the oil is hot enough, add bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon stick, dried red chili, star anise, black cardamom, peppercorns, ginger garlic paste, and sauté sauté for a minute.
- After that, add onion paste and stir well.
- Saute until onion paste is golden in color. This would take about 6-7 minutes.
- Once the onions are cooked, add tomato puree and Stir well.
- Cook covered for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Now, add red chili powder, kitchen king masala, coriander powder, turmeric powder and ground cashews, and stir well. Let them cook for 2 minutes.
- Add water and stir well until combined. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add in Kasuri methi, salt, sugar, garam masala powder, roasted cashews, and mix well.
- Add more water 1/4 needed, cook covered again for 5 minutes.
- Now, add cashew cream or milk cream and mix everything well.
- Cook for another minute and remove from heat. Add ghee and stir well.
- Transfer kaju curry to a serving bowl and garnish with coriander leaves, cream, and cashews.
- Serve hot with paneer naan or paratha.
WATCH RECIPE VIDEO: Click the play button and video will load ...
NOTES:
- To get the restaurant-style taste, I added kitchen king masala to the sauce. Yes, this masala creates an enormous difference. However, if you don’t have kitchen king masala then simply add the same amount of sabji masala or just omit it.
- Adding a little sugar balances the spicy and tangy flavors of this curry. If you don’t want it sweeter, then avoid adding any sugar. You can also add healthy sugar alternatives such as honey or maple syrup.
- Cashews – I used whole cashews for this recipe, but you can also use broken cashews.
- If you want to make this curry hot, increase the number of green chilies. Or if you want it less hot then swap red chili powder with the Kashmiri red chili powder.
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Author: Anupama
Recipe Source Link: https://www.mygingergarlickitchen.com/restaurant-style-shahi-kaju-curry-cashew-curry-video-recipe/