Here’s another recipe (first one was Baked Rainbow Chard With Apricots & Walnuts) given with kind permission by Dr Rupy Aujla, taken from his new book “The Doctor’s Kitchen: Eat to Beat Illness” – out now from Harper Thorsons. Read on for how to make Dr. Rupy’s Sri Lankan Cashew Curry.
I was lucky enough to travel to beautiful and exotic Sri Lanka 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 cashew curry. Rich in flavour, this bowl of goodness pairs beautifully with simple brown rice but also tastes delicious 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. Serves 4
The Doctor’s Kitchen -Sri Lankan Cashew Curry
DOCTOR’S ORDERS
You can use peas instead of sweetcorn, if you prefer, and green radish leaves, chard or other leafy greens will work well instead of the spinach.
Ingredients:
- 2tbsp coconut oil
- 15g (½oz) root ginger, peeled and grated
- 5 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 8-10 curry leaves (optional)
- 5cm piece of lemongrass (tender base only), thinly sliced (optional)
- 3tsp curry powder (Sri Lankan or regular)
- 250g (9oz) unsalted cashews, soaked in water for 20 minutes, then drained
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 400g tin of coconut milk
- 100ml (3½fl oz) hot water
- 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 100g (3½oz) sweetcorn kernels (frozen, fresh or tinned)
- 50g (1¾oz) baby spinach
- 10g (¼oz) fresh coriander, finely chopped
Preparation:
- Melt the coconut oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, then add the ginger, garlic, bay leaf, shallot, curry leaves and lemongrass (if using) and sauté for about 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 about 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 so the greens are tender.
- Remove from the heat, stir the coriander through and serve.
From “Eat to Beat Illness” by Dr. Rupy Aujla, which is available now on Amazon. What healthy recipes have you tried recently? Do you think as Dr. Rupy does, that your ‘food is medicine’?
