PORK TENDERLOIN WITH CASHEW CREAM TOMATO CURRY
This was my first time making curry, one of my cooking resolutions I made myself this year was to learn more about curries and also cook them. There are different types of curries ; green, yellow, and red, each has its own unique taste. On my curry journey I started with a simple creamy tomato curry, substituting heavy cream for a cashew cream. The reason I did this was because I recently made some and had left overs. I have to say it really added another level to the taste.
ingredients
Pork Tenderloin
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 pork tenderloin (about 1½ pounds)
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon grapeseed or vegetable oil
Cashew cream
2 cups raw cashews, covered in water, soak for 2 hours and up to 24 hours
1-2 garlic cloves
Kosher Salt
Tomato Curry
1/4 cup ghee (or vegtable oil)
1 medium onion, finely minced
Salt
2 inch ginger thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste)
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup water
preparation
Combine soy sauce, orange juice, maple syrup, and sesame oil in a large ziploc. Add tenderloin and shake to coat. Chill for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours. Remove tenderloin from marinade and pat dry; discard marinade. Season with salt.
Drain cashews and rinse. Place cashews in blender or food processor add 1 cup of water, and garlic. Blend until smooth. Add more water to thin out to your desired consistency. Season to taste with salt.
In a dutch oven or large sauce pan heat ghee over medium high heat. Add onion stirring occasionally, until onions have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for a minute more. Add masala, turmeric, coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper, and cardamom and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Add in crushed tomatoes, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits. Add 1/2 cup of water to the pan, bring to boil and then reduce the heat to medium low and slowly simmer for at least 15 minutes, until sauce thickens. Stir occasionally. The longer you let sauce simmer the more flavorful sauce becomes.
Stir in 1/2 cup - 1 cup of cashew cream or honestly as much as you want. Season with salt to taste. If you have left over cashew cream, you can store in fridge 3-4 days or freeze.
I served dish with coconut rice and sautéed spinach. I cooked my spinach in the skillet that pork was cooked in and added a dash of soy sauce to it.