Creamy, tangy, and full of textures- this Sri Lankan cashew chicken is one unique recipe you’ll fall in love with.
Most curries are pretty similar in how they are built- they have a base of tomatoes or yogurt and have a nice spice blend to lend the curry that powerful punch of flavor that it is so famous for. This Sri Lankan cashew chicken curry, is, however, a bit different.
It packs in the little crunch and nuttiness from cashews- and it all comes together wonderfully in a well-balanced way.
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Tempted enough to give this unique curry a shot in your kitchen? Scroll down and keep reading to discover all that you need to know about it.
Ingredients For the Recipe
You’ll need a few simple ingredients to make the chicken and cashew curry.
- Cashews (halved): ½ cup
- Green chilies: 2-3
- Onion: 1 whole
- Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp
- Coconut oil: 1 tbsp
- Chicken: 250 gms
- Mustard seeds: ½ tbsp
- Curry leaves: 1 sprig
- Pandan leaves: A bunch
- Green beans (chopped into 1-inch length): 1 cup
- Garam masala: 1 tbsp
- Water: As required
Kitchen Tools Needed
- Mortar and pestle or food processor
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Large skillet or wok
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Wooden spoon
How to Make the Sri Lankan Cashew Chicken
Once you have all your kitchen tools and ingredients ready, here’s what you need to do to make the Sri Lankan cashew chicken.
Dry roast the cashews and keep them aside.
In a blender, add ¾th of the roasted cashews along with green chilies, onion, ginger garlic paste, and blend into a smooth paste.
Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the chicken pieces. Keep aside.
Next, in the same pan, add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, and pandan leaves. Saute.
Add the green beans and saute.
Add the prepared paste next and saute.
Next, add the remaining roasted cashews and the garam masala and give it a good mix.
Add water and let the curry simmer for 1-2 minutes.
Next, add the fried chicken pieces and mix well. Simmer for 1-2 minutes.
Serve hot with rice or roti of your choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
You could use practically any cut of chicken you have in your freezer. Using bone-in chicken will give your curry a much bolder flavor, but you could still use boneless chicken and enjoy a fragrant and delicious curry.
Make sure you choose a tender cut of chicken- thighs are ideally the best. It’ll not only cook faster but will also be soft and juicy- just the way you’d want it to be.
Green beans offer a nice little crunch factor to the curry. They are super healthy and versatile and work wonderfully with the dominant flavors of the curry. If you don’t have green beans, you can still whip up a delicious curry without them.
And if you really want to add some more veggies into the curry, you can do that too- bell peppers, cauliflower, green peas, potatoes, and tomatoes are all excellent choices. Just make sure you cut them into smaller chunks so that they are cooked all the way through.
Cherry tomatoes are also an excellent addition to the curry- they don’t just taste great but also make the dish look so appealing. 
Your leftover Sri Lankan cashew chicken can stay good in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Just remember to use a clean airtight container, and add a bit of water into the curry to loosen it up before you reheat and serve it.
You could also freeze the curry if you want to- all you need to do is use a freezer-safe container, and you should be fine.
Tips to Make the Sri Lankan Cashew Chicken
Think you’re ready to give the recipe a try? You might want to keep these little tips and tricks in mind to make sure you nail it.
- Dry roasting the cashews is ideal because it helps release the nutty flavors and also makes the cashews slightly crunchy, which can bring a nice textural difference into the curry. If you don’t have the time to dry roast the cashews, you can still use regular cashews.
- Soaking the cashews overnight in some warm salt water is another great way to go about it. This extra step gets the cashews to get slightly plump due to absorbing all the water, which can lend a nice unique creamy flavor and soft texture to the dish.
- To lend the curry a nice vibrant color, you can also add a few saffron strands to it. Remember to soak the saffron strands in a tablespoon of water for a few minutes, and then add the entire thing into the curry.
- Don’t have the garam masala? You could use Sri Lankan curry powder or any other curry powder of your choice instead.
- You can also add some toasted coconut flakes on the top, as a garnish, or add it into the curry for a bit of texture and flavor.
- If you want to try a vegan version of this curry, you can just skip the chicken, throw in some more veggies, and end up with something that’s just as delicious.
- Want your curry to have an extra creamy texture and flavor? You can add some unsweetened coconut milk into it towards the end, and let the curry simmer for a few extra minutes. If you don’t have coconut milk, you could use fresh cream instead, and it should work just as well.
- Don’t forget to serve it with a generous sprinkle of freshly chopped coriander leaves.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
Just like any other Sri Lankan curry, this one tastes best when paired with some roti or a soft flatbread to mop up all those delicious juices. If you don’t have the time to make the bread, you could serve it with some steamed rice or any other flavored rice (like this hot and spicy lemon rice) instead.
This curry also tastes great when served with some pineapple fried rice or Japanese-style garlic fried rice.
Sri Lankan Cashew Chicken
Ingredients
- ½ cup Cashews (halved)
- 2-3 pcs Green chilies
- 1 whole Onion
- 1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp Coconut oil
- 250 gms Chicken
- ½ tsp Mustard seeds
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
- A bunch Pandan leaves
- 1 cup Green beans (chopped into 1 inch length)
- 1 tsp Garam masala
- As reqd Water
Instructions
- Dry roast the cashews and keep aside.½ cup Cashews
- Ina blender, add ¾th of the roasted cashews along with green chilies, onion, ginger garlic paste, and blend into a smooth paste.2-3 pcs Green chilies, 1 whole Onion, 1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
- Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the chicken pieces. Keep aside.1 tsp Coconut oil, 250 gms Chicken
- Next,in the same pan, add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, and pandan leaves. Saute.½ tsp Mustard seeds, 1 sprig Curry leaves, A bunch Pandan leaves
- Add the green beans and saute.1 cup Green beans
- Add the prepared paste next and saute.
- Next, add the remaining roasted cashews and the garam masala and give it a good mix.1 tsp Garam masala
- Add water and let the curry simmer for 1-2 minutes.As reqd Water
- Next add the fried chicken pieces and mix well. Simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Serve hot with rice or roti of your choice.
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