I'm mastering my vegetable curry recipe and while it is spectacular in its current form using heavy whipping cream, I have some wild notion that the recipe would be more appreciated if I could manage to replace the heavy cream with a vegan option. I tried coconut cream but that has far too distinct a flavor, plus one member of the family hates coconuts and can detect it easily.
So I am looking for a substitute for heavy cream that's not coconut based, and ideally not soy, but I'll try just about anything.
I am also ok with having to concoct something from a variety of sources. So if I have to use almond milk, but thicken it with an almond butter or some other ingredient then I can handle that.
I'm not 100% sure why the heavy cream benefits the recipe. To me heavy cream has no flavor. So maybe what I'm looking for is to create a cream of similar viscosity that is vegan and has as little to no flavor as possible… or I guess it could be the heavy cream uses the other flavors in the curry as a catalyst.
The goal is to make my 100% organic vegetable curry to be vegan without hurting the flavor.
I see some pointers here but I'm wondering if there's a more specific technique others know of meeting the requirements here.
Best Answer
I've had good luck substituting cashew cream for heavy cream in soups and curries. I've had a lot of people actually prefer it!
To make it, you follow the basic procedure for making nut milk, but skip most of the steps. Soak cashews in enough water to cover them for at least an hour or two, then puree in a blender until it's as smooth as you can get it. Add a little more water until it's the thickness of cream, throw in a pinch of salt, and you're done.
It's good for things where you need the richness of cream, but don't want other characteristics like sweetness or tanginess that other substitutes might have. I've even seen it used as the base for cheesecakes, and vegan cheeses and cheese sauces.