6 Regional Peanut-Based Curries You Can Try This Season

By Ujjainee Roy

May 22, 2024

Looking to make your homemade curries healthier? Just add nuts to them! You'd be amazed to know that plenty of regional curries are made with nut-based gravies or masala, be ot peanuts or cashews. Let's explore some regional curries which are made with peanuts.

Hyderabadi Baghare Baingan

A rich and flavorful curry from Hyderabad, Baghare Baingan features baby eggplants cooked in a thick gravy made from peanuts, sesame seeds, and coconut. The gravy is spiced with tamarind, coriander, cumin, and dried red chilies, giving it a tangy and slightly spicy taste. It's traditionally served with biryani or roti.

Shengdana Amti

A simple yet delicious peanut-based curry from Maharashtra, Shengdana Amti is made by grinding roasted peanuts into a paste and cooking it with tamarind, jaggery, and a blend of spices including mustard seeds, turmeric, and red chili powder. This sweet and sour curry is typically served with rice or bhakri.

Kashmiri Rogan Josh

Though traditionally made with meat, a vegetarian version of this famous Kashmiri dish uses paneer or vegetables simmered in a sauce thickened with ground almonds. The curry is flavored with Kashmiri red chilies, fennel, ginger, and garlic, resulting in a creamy, mildly spicy dish that's best enjoyed with steamed rice or naan.

Punjabi chicken cashew curry

This Punjabi-style chicken curry is enriched with a creamy cashew nut paste. Chicken pieces are cooked in a tomato and onion gravy flavored with ginger, garlic, garam masala, and other spices. The cashew paste adds a luxurious texture and a mildly sweet flavor to the curry, making it a favorite with naan or rice.

Calcutta-style chicken rezala

A rich and creamy curry from Bengal, this rezala features tender chicken pieces cooked in a yogurt-based gravy thickened with ground peanuts. Flavored with aromatic spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves, and enriched with ghee and cashews, this dish has a mildly sweet and nutty taste. 

Rajasthani moongfali sabzi

Rajasthani Moongfali Curry is a flavorful dish featuring peanuts cooked in a spicy yogurt-based gravy. Ground peanuts add a rich, nutty texture, while spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric, and red chili powder provide a robust flavor.