This Creamy Tofu and Cashew Curry blends toasted cashews with coconut milk, creating an ultra-silky sauce that clings to crispy tofu and bold spices. This vegan curry is full of flavor and it’s also simple enough for weeknight cooking—and great for meal prep, too.
This Creamy Tofu and Cashew Curry is very simple and it all starts with gathering the right ingredients. I used to rely solely on coconut milk – occasionally heavy cream – for a rich creamy curry, but making this curry has taught me that using cashew cream as base yields an incredibly smooth sauce. The flavors are silky, mild, and well balanced, as opposed to the usual bolder flavors found in most curries.
An interesting thing about trying different cuisines is that it’s a fun exercise in learning about new ingredients and cultures. You also get the chance to explore new specialty shops when hunting down ingredients. I love grocery stores in general and the potential of finding new ingredients to try. Whenever I visit Asian stores I’m always amazed by the sheer number of incredible ingredients I’ve never seen before. It ignites my innate sense of curiosity and I want to try everything.
I once heard that a good curry should be like a well made, spot-on salad: one flavor should never dominate the others. Every bite should be cohesive and the flavors should complement one another. This is what this recipe attempts to do.
Customizations & Variations
Half of the ingredients included in this recipe make the korma paste – that’s right, we’re making it from scratch!. Feel free to adapt the ingredients to what’s available to you, and adjust the ratios according to taste. You should always use your intuition when cooking. Instead of stressing out over exact quantities, you can customize the spices ratio and make any necessary ingredient swaps.
How to Make Creamy Tofu and Cashew Curry
To make the korma paste it’s best to add all ingredients to a blender and whizz until a paste forms. Alternatively, you can just skip that step and add everything straight to the pan along with some olive oil. Toss until spices are fragrant to draw out their flavors, and then add the liquids. I do this whenever I feel like speeding up the process and it doesn’t really alter the final product.
You might need to soak the cashews in hot water for about 20 minutes before blending. But I’ve learned that you can also skip that step by adding hot water to the blender. That has always worked for me, but keep that in mind, in case it might turn out to be necessary. Soft cashews are essential for a really creamy sauce.
One last thing about this curry is that if you’re on a high protein diet, it’s a great way to add plant-based protein to your daily intake! The cashews also provide an extra dose of healthy fats, so a great meal to keep in your dinner rotation.
Although I personally chose not to add any vegetables to this curry, feel free to add any kind you please. If you like having a bit of a crunch, perhaps adding ingredients such as sugar snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower, or even chickpeas would be great.
The baked tofu does offer a nice crunchy bite, though, that’s why I like baking it separately and adding to the curry right before serving so that it keeps that crispy exterior.
This creamy tofu and cashew curry is one of those meals you’ll crave again and again—comforting, nutritious, and completely plant-based. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment or tag me on Instagram 🙂
Creamy Tofu and Cashew Curry
Ingredients
Tofu:
- 2 15 oz blocks extra-firm tofu
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
Spice paste:
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 1-inch knob ginger
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Sauce:
- ½ can coconut milk (200ml / 7oz)
- 2 cups water
- ½ cup cashews
- ½ cup hot water (for blending cashews)
- 1 lemon, juiced
- salt, to taste
- Fresh cilantro, to garnish
Instructions
- Bake the tofu: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Press tofu gently to remove excess moisture, then cut into 1-inch cubes. Toss tofu with 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Spread in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for 30–35 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and slightly crisp on the edges.
- Make the spice paste: In a blender, combine: onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, cinnamon, and 1 tbsp olive oil. Blend until smooth and thick.(If no blender: finely chop onion/garlic and sauté longer until very soft before adding spices.)
- Cook the paste: Heat a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the blended paste and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until darker in color, fragrant and starting to stick slightly to the pan. This step is important for removing raw spice flavor.
- Make the sauce: Add the coconut milk and water. Stir well to combine, then bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 10 minutes.
- In the same blender used for the spice paste, combine the cashews and hot water and blend until completely smooth and creamy.
- Stir the cashew cream into the curry and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes, until thickened and silky. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Add the baked tofu and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Season with salt to taste.
- Top with fresh cilantro and serve.
This looks delicious! I have everything but the red onion to make this. It is now on my list.
Hi Janet! Thank you!! I hope you enjoy the recipe, let me know how it turns out!