Chickpea Cashew Korma

I had one of those days at home today. I generally need one of these days once a week, where I cook, wash, and leave the house only to grab a few groceries and take a walk around the block. I spend a few hours tending to all my online pursuits (today it was Bluelight) and perhaps watch a little television. I find that without this day, once a week, everything gets much harder to achieve... practically and emotionally.

So, although I did wish I was out with Michael and Cindy celebrating their 1000th post at Where's the beef? this afternoon, I knew I needed this day to myself. Instead of coming out to celebrate, I share one of my current favourite dishes with you all, and especially with Michael and Cindy!

I've only changed a couple of things from the original recipe in this chickpea cashew korma. The original recipe can be found at p. 110 of Vegetarian Cooking Without . This book is a special cookbook - it's more of a diet and philosophy book than just a list of recipes. All the recipes are free from gluten, sugar, yeast, dairy, meat, fish and saturated fat. Basically vegan, you just have to watch out for eggs and honey. The introductory chapter discusses how to detox your body in a sustainable way, which I liked.

This Korma has a different and (I think) delicious taste due to the addition of fennel seeds to the curry paste. It also has a lovely texture. Half of the curry mix, cashews and chickpeas are processed to form a thick, creamy sauce. I can attest that this dish tasted and felt wonderful on a cold winter night :)

Ingredients:
2 large onions
4 garlic cloves
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp grated ginger
1 400 g tin coconut milk
1 cup whole raw cashews
1 400 g tin chickpeas, drained
1 carrot
1 capsicum (I used a yellow one)
200 g green beans
1 250 g tin diced pineapple in natural juice
1 punnet ripe cherry tomatoes
1 small bunch coriander
salt & pepper to taste

Method:
1. Dice onions and crush garlic. Gently fry in olive oil until onion begins to soften. Add spices and ginger and continue to gently fry for a few minutes.
2. Add half of coconut milk to pan. Simmer until onions are soft.
3. While simmering, prepare the harder vegetables. Chop carrot, capsicum & beans into bite-sized pieces.
4. Place half of the onion mixture into a food processor along with half of the cashews and half of the chickpeas. Process into a smooth paste and set aside.
5. Add remaining coconut milk to pan with the remaining whole cashews and chickpeas. Bring to boil then add carrot, capsicum and beans. Simmer until tender.
6. While simmering, prepare remaining ingredients. Slice cherry tomatoes into halves and chop coriander.
7. When vegetables are tender, add the processed cashew, chickpea and onion mix to the pan along with the pineapple pieces and their juice, tomatoes and coriander. Warm through and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with brown rice. Serves 4 generously!