Elevate your Indian dinner party with this ultra creamy and rich Khoya Kaju Curry. Ghee fried cashew nuts are simmered in a white cream and mawa gravy which is slightly sweet and flavoured with spices.
The word "khoya" in the title of this recipe tells you everything you need to know. Khoya (the same thing as mawa or milk solids) is added to Indian sweets and savouries for richness. Particularly in savoury dishes, it makes the gravy silky and thick and balances out the spice.
Kaju khoya is definitely a luxurious dish and works well as a side alongside vegetable dishes, daals and pulao. To go all out fancy pair with vegetable makhanwala, dal maharani, and shahi pulao. Pea and mint pulao is also a good alternative.
Think of it as being in the same big-boy league as navratan korma and malai kofta. Perfect for special occasions and even a Diwali dinner party.
I find it quite rich and prefer to tone down the sides so instead go for Indian mixed vegetable curry or matar mushroom or hariyali aloo.
Ingredients
Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.
Cashews - crushed into the gravy and used whole. To make a little more budget friendly, use the cashew pieces for the gravy and whole cashews for the bulk.
Mawa - I exclusively make my own mawa using milk powder. You can also make mawa from ricotta cheese. You can find mawa in the fresh aisle of Indian grocery stores.
Onion - I've used brown onions so that the gravy retains it's white colour. I first boil the onions for the gravy. Boiling and crushing the onions softens their sharpness and helps them dissolve into the gravy - a hallmark of Mughlai cooking. The result is a smooth base without the heaviness or dark colour of fried onions.
Garlic, green chillies & ginger - I always use fresh for the best taste.
Milk - to loosen the gravy.
Spices - saffron and garam masala.
Kasoori methi - gives restaurant style flavours. To extract as much flavour, rub it between your palms to crumble it.
Cardamom powder - adds its own flavour and cuts through the richness from the dairy. Don't skip it!
Ghee - needed to pan fry the cashews.
Storage
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📖 Recipe
Khoya Kaju
Ingredients
- 150 grams cashew nuts
- 1 tablespoon broken cashew nuts
- 50 gram khoya
- 1 small brown onion roughly chopped
- 1 green chilli
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste combine
- 2 tablespoon ghee or butter
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 100-150 millilitres whole milk
- 2-3 tablespoon cream
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- pinch kasoori methi
- salt to taste
Garnish
- Big pinch saffron threads
Instructions
- In a pan boil some water, add 1 small brown onion and 1 tablespoon broken cashew nuts and boil until onion is soft.
- Add the boiled onion and cashews in a grinder along with 1 green chilli and make a fine puree.
- In another pan add 2 tablespoon gheethen add 150 grams cashew nuts. Pan fry until the cashews just change colour.
- In the same pan, add pureed onion-cashews and 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste, saute on low heat for 5-6 minutes.
- Then add 50 gram khoya and cook further until fat leaves the sides of the pan.
- Now add 100-150 millilitres whole milk and mix well.
- Add salt to taste, half the saffron threads and 1 tablespoon garam masala, mix well.
- Then add fried cashews (keep some for garnishing) and cook, if the mixture gets thicker, add some more milk.
- Cover the pan and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add 2 tablespoon sugar½ teaspoon cardamom powderand pinch kasoori methi, turn off the heat.
- Add 2-3 tablespoon cream and mix.
- Serve in a serving dish, sprinkle Big pinch saffron threads and remaining cashew nuts.
Video
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
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Hayley Dhanecha says
I like making khoya kaju when I want something really indulgent and restaurant style at home, with that rich, creamy gravy coating every cashew so beautifully. Perfect for get togethers or weekend dinners.