Tandoori Cashew Mash
Meat alternatives come in virtually every shape, size, form, and flavor these days. While today, most of these alternatives are soy or wheat-gluten based, an early (and still popular) option was “Nut Meat Salad”... I agree, that’s an awful name. But the concept is awesome and the product can be so delicious! Nuts are high in fat and protein, and their fattiness allows them to not only emulate the savory flavors of meat, but also transform into interesting new textures. Additionally, nuts are a great option for people with soy or gluten allergies to get lots of protein without eating meat. So, in an effort to offer a spreadable, protein-rich and fat-rich alternative for your wraps, sandwiches, and crackers, we developed the Tandoori Cashew Mash!
This spread packs in the hearty texture of blended cashews, the incredible umami of sun dried tomatoes and sautéed garlic and shallot, and the beautiful complexity of Tandoori Masala.
Tandoori Masala is an incredibly popular spice blend originating from Northern India (before India and Pakistan split), and while it’s exact ingredients vary regionally and throughout time, it typically includes Garam Masala, Coriander, Ginger, Cardamom, Clove, Nutmeg, Cumin, Red Chili Powder, Garlic, Turmeric, and Mace. While making this from scratch can be fun, we heavily recommend adding a pre-made blend to your pantry. That said, if you’re feeling ambitious, check out this recipe from Shanaz Rafiq!
Pair this protein-packed spread with some bright herbs and veggies (like sprouts!) for a killer wrap or sandwich, spread it over some crunchy crackers for a hearty snack, or try something totally out of the box (and let us know how it goes)! Check out the recipe below:
Yield : ~1.5 cups
Ingredients
1 cup of Unsalted Cashews: whole
1 clove of Garlic: sliced into rounds
1 Shallot: sliced into rounds
¼ tsp Salt
½ tsp Tandoori Masala
5-10 Sun Dried Tomatoes
1 tsp olive oil
*You will need a food processor for this recipe, it can be done without one but may be very work intensive. Don’t have one? Ask a neighbor or consider buying one second-hand. There are some amazing models out there that can last a lifetime.*
Preparation:
In a small pot, bring roughly 2 cups of water to a simmer, remove from the heat, and place your cashews in. They should sit for at least 30 minutes.
In the meantime, slice up your shallot and garlic clove, set a small pan on medium heat, add the olive oil, and once the oil is warm, place in your shallot and garlic and stir until both have softened and developed some color.
Place the sun dried tomatoes, and sautéed garlic and shallot in the food processor and blend until mostly smooth (it doesn’t have to be a perfectly smooth paste).
Once your cashews have soaked for at least 30 minutes, drain them and save ½ cup (approximately) of the soaking water.
Add your cashews to the food processor (with the sun dried tomatoes, garlic, and shallot still inside) and blend until mostly smooth. Unless the mixture is already very smooth (like peanut butter), add 1 ½ tsp of the soaking water and blend again (it should be similar in texture to a paté, or an extra-thick and grainy peanut butter)
Remove the mixture from the food processor and into a large bowl, and mix in the salt and Tandoori Masala with a spoon or fork until combined.
Enjoy! This can be enjoyed warm, room-temperature, or cooled, and can last up to a week in your refrigerator.
Best Practices:
As always:
Avoid packaged produce, or really anything packaged for that matter. This is not to say that you’ll always have the option, but when you do, go for it! For example, you may sometimes see garlic in a plastic mesh, or shallots in plastic bags. These are all very often available sans any container, so take the opportunity to use your hands, smell the produce, build that relationship with your ingredients! Additionally, things like nuts and spices can often be found in bulk (rather than in small containers), if you find a market that offers this option, give it a try!
Try to bring your own bags when you go shopping for these ingredients.
Make sure you’re not buying more than you think you’ll reasonably use! Nuts are a very water intensive crop, so you want to make sure you’re making the most of what you buy. That said, essentially all of these ingredients (like the nuts, shallot, garlic, spices, and sun dried tomatoes) can last a long time in your pantry (but not forever), so if you buy more than you need, you’ll likely have plenty of other opportunities to use them. It’s important to note however, that nuts do go stale, and often much quicker than most people realize, so if you have a jar/can/bag laying around in the house, taste them every once in a while to ensure you don’t miss their peak quality!
These ingredients have been chosen with several things in mind:
Most of these ingredients are household staples that are relatively inexpensive and last a long time. If you don’t already have Tandoori Masala or sun dried tomatoes, these are amazing staples in any pantry and can add so much flavor to any number of recipes.
This recipe itself is also very versatile and can work as a main course, a snack or appetizer, and can be paired with different breads and vegetables to create a variety of interesting dishes.
We have chosen Cashews for the recipe for several reasons. While many nuts like almonds and pine-nuts can be incredibly water and resource intensive, Cashews are significantly less so. Additionally, the flavor and texture of Cashews, particularly those that have been roasted and soaked, offer an incredible flavor profile and “meaty” textural quality.
Tandoori Masala is an incredibly complex spice mix that pairs perfectly with savory flavors like nuts, sun dried tomatoes, and sautéed garlic and shallot. Indian cuisine is one that has developed a vegetarian repertoire so complex and delicious that an absence of meat bears no sacrifice. Accordingly, it felt fitting to include one of it’s most popular spice mixes in this meat-alternative recipe. That being said, this spice mix can surely be substituted for other powerful spices. We encourage you to experiment and push the boundaries of your own palette!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Let us know! If you really loved it, share it on social media and tag us (@groundedgrub), or, better yet, share it with your friends and family!