Spicy Spinach And Cashew Sauce

By Wewah

You can make this quite thin as a sauce for rice or pasta, or serve it thick to accompany roasted or grilled vegetables, or as a dip for pakoras or kofta (little dumplings or croquettes made with vegetables, spices and chickpea flour or grains).

Ingredients

• Makes about 2 1/2 cups
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 5 About 5 ounces spinach (about 2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil, or a small handful of fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Red pepper flakes, to taste
• Pinch of ground ginger
• 1/2 cup roasted cashews
• Squeeze of lime
• Plenty of salt and pepper

Details

Adapted from npr.org

Preparation

Step 1

Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallot. Cook for a minute or two, add the garlic, cook for under a minute until it starts to brown. Add the spinach, a few tablespoons of water and herbs and spices. Cook until the spinach is wilted and the pan is quite dry.

Meanwhile, put the cashews in a blender or food processor. Add about 1/2 cup water, and blend until you have a thick paste.

Add the spinach mixture to the blender, and blend it all together. Add a splash of water to the empty pan, and stir it around so you have all the nice spicy bits. Pour this water into the blender. Blend until you have a nice smooth sauce. Return it to the pan and heat to warm through, if you like, or serve at room temperature. You can leave this thick like a pesto, or add water to make it a thinner sauce. Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lime.