Everyday Nourishing Foods

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Lunch ideas
  • Dinner ideas
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • What to Cook Today?
  • Food Tips
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • What to Cook Today?
    • Food Tips
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Curries & Gravies

    Phool makhana curry

    Modified: Jun 3, 2025 Published: Apr 2, 2021 by Sravanthi Chanda. Leave a Comment

    350 shares
    • Facebook295
    • Reddit
    • WhatsApp
    5 from 3 votes
    Detailed Steps Jump to Recipe

    Make this simple and vegan Phool makhana curry that is delicious today and brighten up your meal! Enjoy this for lunch or dinner with any flatbread or flavored rice.

    phool makhana cashew curry in a bowl

    This Makhana curry is a simple and creamy Indian-style curry recipe with fox nuts or Makhana, cashews, onion tomato curry sauce. This curry goes very well with any Indian flatbread or with any flavored rice.

    This makhana gravy curry is rich and creamy due to cashews. It will taste like a restaurant curry. And you know what has in the curry.

    How to make makhana curry:

    • Heat a pan and add a teaspoon of oil and makhana to it. Roast them on a low flame for about 7 to 8 minutes.
    • Once they are roasted well take them out of the pan and let them cool. You can use already roasted makhana also.
    • Now again, add two teaspoons of oil to the pan. Add onion and tomato masala paste to it.
    • On a slow flame, let this masala paste cook for a couple of minutes.
    • Meanwhile, take cashews and water into a small mixer grinder and grind them into a smooth paste. 
    • I usually soak cashews for a couple of hours to get that smooth consistency. If you do not have time or forgot about soaking, you can soak in hot water for 30 minutes or so.
    • Now add spice powders - coriander powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, and salt to the onion-tomato masala paste. 
    • Mix it well and add the cashew paste to the pan.
    • You can add more water to adjust the consistency of the curry as per your liking.
    • Let it cook on a slow flame for 3 to 4 minutes.
    • Now add finely chopped fenugreek leaves and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
    • If you do not have fresh fenugreek leaves, you can add dried leaves or Kasuri methi leaves or powder.
    • Switch off the flame and add makhana just before serving the curry.
    • If you like soggy makhana like me, add them and let them rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve the makhana gravy curry with any Indian flatbread like roti, naan, or with any flavored rice.

    Recipe Notes and variations:

    • As we are using cashews in this makhana cashew curry, it will be smooth, rich, and creamy.
    • As this is a vegan recipe, I have not used milk or cream. You can add a tablespoon of cream at the end for a restaurant-style curry.
    • Instead of makhana, you can make this curry with paneer or tofu, or mixed veggies. If using paneer or tofu, pan fry them and add them in place of makhana. 
    • If using mixed veggies, steam them and add them at the end and simmer for another 5 minutes. Sweet corn or green peas is also a good addition to this curry.

    Have you tried this recipe? Provide your feedback by giving a star rating and/or leaving comments. And don't forget to share the recipe with others on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter.

    Recipe:

    Recipe

    Phool makhana curry

    By: Sravanthi Chanda
    Simple and vegan makhana curry with cashews, onion, tomatoes, and Indian spices. This curry goes well with rice or any flatbread. Make this today and enjoy it for your lunch or dinner.

    Rate this recipe by clicking the stars!

    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine Indian
    Servings 4
    Calories 181 kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 cups makhana (foxnuts)
    • 1 cup onion tomato curry sauce
    • ⅓ cup cashews
    • ½ cup water
    • ¼ cup fenugreek leaves (fenugreek leaves)
    • 1 tablespoon oil
    • ½ teaspoon red chili powder
    • ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
    • ½ teaspoon coriander powder
    • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
    • Salt to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Heat a pan and add a teaspoon of oil and makhana to it. Roast them on a low flame for about 7 to 8 minutes.
    • Once they are roasted well take them out of the pan and let them cool.
    • Now again add two teaspoons of oil to the pan. Add onion and tomato masala paste to it.
    • On a slow flame let this masala paste cook for a couple of minutes.
    • Meanwhile, take cashews and water into a small mixer grinder and grind it into a smooth paste. 
    • Now add spice powders - coriander powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, and salt to the onion-tomato masala paste. 
    • Mix it well and add the cashew paste to the pan.
    • You can add more water to adjust the consistency of the curry as per your liking.
    • Let it cook on a slow flame for 3 to 4 minutes.
    • Now add finely chopped fenugreek leaves and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
    • If you do not have fresh fenugreek leaves, you can add dried leaves or Kasuri methi leaves or powder.
    • Switch off the flame and add makhana just before serving the curry. Makhana cashew curry is ready to serve!

    Notes

    • If you have frozen onion tomato curry masala, thaw it and use it in this recipe.
    • If you want to make it fresh, you can check my detailed post on making onion tomato curry sauce in a stovetop pan and Instant pot.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 181kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 4gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.04gSodium: 19mgPotassium: 297mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 76IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 90mgIron: 2mg
    Pin Recipe Share on Facebook
    Enjoyed this recipe?Drop a comment below and let us know your thoughts!

    PIN the recipe for later use!

    More Easy Indian Vegetable Curry Recipes

    • Bowl of dry-style Indian zucchini curry garnished with cilantro, served on a black and white checkered cloth.
      Quick Indian Zucchini Curry Recipe – Ready in 20 Minutes!
    • A bowl of Saag Aloo – Indian spinach and potato curry – served in a light blue bowl, showing chunky potatoes coated in a vibrant green spinach gravy.
      Saag Aloo - One Pot Indian Spinach Potato Gravy Curry
    • A bowl of Indian vegetable side dish - veggie curry garnished with fresh mint, served with a side of curry leaves on a striped napkin.
      Mixed Vegetable Curry (Easy Indian Vegetable Side Dish)
    • A bowl and a plate of Black-Eyed Peas Curry served with rice on a white textured background.
      Indian Black Eyed Peas Curry Recipe - Lobia Masala
    350 shares
    • Facebook295
    • Reddit
    • WhatsApp
    5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Sravanthi Chanda standing in a rose garden, wearing a light green embroidered sweater and patterned black kurta, smiling softly with trees and flowers in the background.

    I'm Sravanthi Chanda and I share Indian lunch and dinner recipes on my blog. These easy-to-follow recipes are made from scratch using fresh ingredients and come with step-by-step photos, perfect for family meals.

    More about me →

    Share your Feedback

    Have suggestions or feedback? I’d love to hear from you below! Take this quick 2-minute survey to help shape future content.

    Take the Survey

    Latest Recipes

    • Collage showing Indian-style chickpeas, rajma, and lentils cooked in the Instant Pot with centered text overlay for beans and legumes cooking guide.
      Instant Pot Beans and Legumes – Indian Cooking Guide + Recipes
    • Bowl of Indian-style spicy guacamole topped with green chili slices and herbs.
      Spicy Guacamole with an Indian Twist
    • Close-up of steamed green beans and sliced carrots atop saag on a stainless steel plate, next to quinoa, with 'Everyday Nourishing Foods' watermark.
      Instant Pot Steamed Veggies (No Steamer Basket Needed!)
    • A collage of Indian summer recipes including cucumber peanut salad, chickpea salad, bell pepper spinach curry, and black beans rice, with a central text overlay reading "Indian Summer Recipes."
      27 Light and Easy Indian Dinner Recipes Perfect for Summer
    • Collage of cooked black beans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, and millets in an Instant Pot with text overlay: Instant Pot Basics & How-Tos for Indian Cooking.
      Instant Pot Basics & How-Tos for Indian Cooking
    • Close-up of soft and perfectly cooked Indian bread chapati, served in a steel plate.
      Easy Chapati Recipe (Soft & Fluffy Indian Bread)

    Popular Recipes

    • Perfectly cooked basmati rice garnished with cardamom and whole spices.
      Restaurant Style Indian Rice Recipe
    • A stack of crispy red lentil wraps topped with a fresh cilantro leaf, served on a white plate over a colorful checkered napkin.
      Easy Red Lentil Wraps Recipe (Vegan High Protein Tortillas)
    • Top view of a bowl filled with shiny, cooked kidney beans on a marble surface with the logo 'everydaynourishingfoods' visible.
      Instant Pot Red Kidney Beans (Soaked & Dried)
    • Bowl of chana saag featuring chickpeas in a thick spinach sauce, on a colorful checkered cloth, with 'Everyday Nourishing Foods' watermark.
      Chana Saag (Indian Chickpea and Spinach Curry)
    • Kidney beans soup in a white bowl with rich broth and hearty vegetables.
      Red Kidney Beans Soup (Easy & Vegan Recipe)
    • A bowl of vibrant green Indian spinach saag on a colorful checkered napkin.
      Easy Indian Saag Recipe (Quick Spinach Curry)
    • How to cook basmati rice in a rice cooker
    • A bowl of cooked black beans garnished with a fresh basil leaf, placed on a light-colored cloth background.
      Instant Pot Black Beans (Soaked and dried)

    Footer

    ↑ Back to Top
    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility
    • Contact
    • Quick Feedback?

    Copyright © Everyday Nourishing Foods 2025

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.