Peanut cashew curd

I was most excited when I realised I could make curd from any nut :). I started making this every week once (only for me so very little quantity) and I used this in all places where I used dairy curd – even made mor kali once and it turned out amazing (even mil gave a nod of full approval as she couldn’t tell the difference). Does vegan curd taste just like dairy curd? It doesn’t. Duh, it won’t and it is not supposed to also. However, for those of you who are looking to go more plant based for whatsoever reasons and find curd in whichever part of the world you are in quote ridiculous prices for vegan curd, just make this one off :). It is so easy, pocket friendly and tastes really nice. And it doesn’t take long to make and once you make it a few times, it just becomes second nature.

5 from 1 vote
Peanut cashew curd
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Soaking time
12 hrs
 
Servings: 1 cup
Ingredients
For 1 tbsp starter liquid (If you don't have vegan curd on hand)
  • 1/2 tsp idli batter
  • 1/2 tsp sugar/ jaggery powder
  • 1 tbsp water
Cashew milk
  • 1/8 cup cashew nuts roughly 10-12
  • 1/8 cup water
Peanut milk
  • 1/4 cup raw peanuts
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/8 tsp vinegar/ lemon juice
Alternative starter
  • 1 dried red chilli
  • 3 or 4 dried red chilli crown
Instructions
For 1tbsp starter liquid
  1. In a small vessel mix together 1/2t idli batter, 1/2t sugar/ jagger powder, 1T water.

  2. Set it aside for 2 hours without touching so that sediments will settle.

  3. Once the sediment settles, use the water on top as your vegan curd starter.

Cashew milk
  1. Bring 1/2c water to boil.

  2. In a small vessel, place 1/8c cashews and pour the boiling water in.

  3. Cover with a lid and let the cashews soak for atleast 8-10 hours (overnight). I soak mine for 12 hours.

  4. The following day or after required soaking time, discard the water.

  5. Rinse the cashews once nicely and place it in a mixer jar.

  6. Add 1/8c water and grind till smooth (make sure not to pour all the water since you will be left with small solid particles instead of a smooth puree).

  7. Add the remaining 1/8c water and pulse.

  8. Transfer to a bowl/ cup. Cashew milk is ready.

Peanut milk
  1. In a small vessel that can be heated on a stove top, add in 1/4c peanuts, 1/2c water, 1/8t vinegar/ lemon juice.

  2. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once it starts to boil, let it continue boiling for 4-5 minutes (without any lid).

  3. Turn off the heat. Remove from the stove top and cover with a lid.

  4. Keep this aside overnight for soaking (the longer it soaks, the creamier it gets while grinding. I usually soak mine 12 hours).

  5. Following morning (or after required soaking hours), discard the water in which the peanuts were soaked and wash/ rinse the peanuts with fresh water twice or thrice.

  6. Place the peanuts in a mixer jar and add 1/4c water.

  7. Blend/ grind till you have a smooth creamy mixture.

  8. Add the remaining 3/4c water little by little (I add 1/4c at a time) and blend.

  9. Finally use a muslin cloth/ nut milk strainer and strain the milk. Ensure you do a clean straining without any solid particles in the milk.

  10. Your peanut milk is ready.

Peanut cashew curd
  1. Mix the peanut milk & cashew milk in a vessel that can be heated on stove top.

  2. Heat in the smallest of the stove top and keep it in normal/ high flame.

  3. Keep stirring with a spoon and gently bring the milk to a boil.

  4. As soon as the milk starts to froth up on the sides, turn the heat to the lowest possible option (while continuously stirring) and let it boil for 2-3 minutes.

  5. Turn off the heat and leave it uncovered.

  6. Once the milk reaches a lukewarm consistency (very similar to dairy curd setting process), add 1T starter (if you have previously set curd, use 1T from that).

  7. If you don't have a curd starter, use 1T of liquid starter (mentioned above) and 2-3 crowns of dried chilli along with 1 dried chilli in itself.

  8. Mix well. Place the bowl in a warm place (I keep mine in a hotpack) and set it aside.

  9. Make sure you don't keep touching it/ moving it/ stirring it. Just let it be for 12-14 hours (It takes up to 24 hours to set the first time around). Check after that.

  10. Peanut cashew curd should be ready by this time.

  11. If its the first time this curd is being done using a non curd starter, then your curd won't be thick but it will be thicker than when you left the milk to curdle and will look slightly grainy. This is the right texture.

  12. Discard the red chilli & the crown. Use it wherever you would typically use your dairy curd.

  13. A few things to keep in mind is that the repeated setting of curd using the previous batch's curd starter will yield nice and thick curd. This one in pic is the 2nd time I made curd and wanted to document it before I forget.

  14. The subsequent batches yielded nice and thick curd (which I did not take pics of).

Recipe Notes
  1. While grinding peanut or cashew milk, make sure not to add all the requirement water at once (you won’t end up with smooth milk). 
  2. You can use just the chilli crowns along with 1 dried red chilli as your starter. I did this mix and it worked for me (the first time I did it just with green chillies and it didn’t work. I did not repeat the same process just with red chillies). 
  3. Ideally you can use just the green chillies/ red chillies or the liquid starter mentioned above as your starter. 
  4. While bringing the milk to a boil, be sure to constantly stir it in and once it boils/ bubbles up like dairy milk, just keep stirring constantly while on lowest flame.
  5. If you do the milk making & the boiling part right, when you let the milk cool down you’ll actually see malai/ yaedu forming on top. If you get that, you are more or less guaranteed of nice thick curd. 
  6. Green chillies/ crowns can be used in place of the red chilli. 
  7. Your curd won’t be spicy because you added chilli to it but a slightly flavour of the spice will be present which is negligible. 
  8. The first time you try this out, your curd won’t be thick (this is again similar to how dairy curd behaves too). From the 3rd or 4th curd making attempts (with curd starter), you will start noticing the difference in thickness. 
  9. I live in Dubai and so constant AC. I pour the milk mixed in liquid starter in a ceramic bowl, close with a lid and pop it into a hotpack and set it aside/ keep it behind where you won’t keep touching/ moving it even by mistake. This is again similar to dairy curd. 
  10. If the curd doesn’t set, you’ll know it with the thickness, smell & colour (worst case scenario it gets super grey).
  11. The curd keeps well in fridge for an easy 2 weeks. 

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2 Responses

  1. Rajeshwari says:

    5 stars
    Tried in small quantity and really came out well. And very tasty too. Follow the steps written in the receipe and it turns out as mentioned.

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