Cashew Fried Shrimp
Did you know you could make perfectly fried shrimp out of cashews? Using really big cashews, also known as jumbo cashews, you can create a super flavorful shrimp dish! This recipe will wow your friends and family, you have to give it a try! If you like this recipe, be sure to check out this one too! and this one!
Shrimp Broth
First I’m going make a shrimp-like broth. I grab a handful of the jumbo cashews (google w180 cashews, that is the size I used). Toss them into a strainer, rinse them off then add them to a container. Now I add in a squeeze of olive oil, (enough to cover them), a pinch of salt, a tablespoon of rice wine vinegar, a small square of combu, kelp or seaweed, a half tablespoon of sugar, a half teaspoon of beetroot powder, and about two cups of water. Add a lid to the container, give it a good shake, then toss them in the refrigerator over night.
Shrimp Sauce
Since we are making fried shrimp, I also wanted to make a sauce for them. So we just need a quarter cup of your favorite chili garlic sauce, a tablespoon of lemon juice, three tablespoons of agave, and a tablespoon of vegan mayonnaise. Go ahead and give that a quick mix then taste and adjust it to your liking! Throw a lid on it and toss it in the refrigerator for just a bit.
After the shrimp hydrate over night they become a little bigger and softer. Next we drain the shrimp, saving the liquid. In a large bowl I mix together two thirds of a cup of flour, a third of a cup of cornstarch, a tablespoon of garlic powder, a teaspoon of onion powder, a teaspoon of white pepper, and a big pinch of salt. Then I take little handfuls of the saved shrimp liquid and drizzle that in over our dry ingredients.
Fried Shrimp
Then take a few of my cashews at a time and toss them around in the flour mixture. Then back to the liquid, and again to the flour. Gently take them out and set them on a wire rack. In a large pot or dutch oven add enough oil to fill the bottom of the pot, and bring the temperature to 350ºf. Slowly toss in the shrimp and fry them until they are golden brown.
Time to Eat!
These look awesome. I have them resting on the wire rack and I give them a pinch of salt. Toss them into a large bowl, and add in our sweet chili sauce. Give them a toss to mix, then throw them into a bowl, top with some green onion or chives! These are really good! The coating has a perfect crisp to it. It has a firm texture, more firm than shrimp. But it has a great chew to it. The flavor is amazing! Cashew fried shrimp is delicious! Watch the full video here!
No One Would Know The Shrimp Is a Cashew
Ingredients
- jumbo cashews
- olive oil
- salt
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- small square of combu/kelp/seaweed
- .5 tbsp sugar
- .5 tsp beetroot powder
- 1/4 cup chili garlic sauce
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp agave
- 1 tbsp vegan mayo
- 2/3 cup flour
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp white pepper
Instructions
- Rinse off cashews, then put them in a container. Add olive oil, salt, rice wine vinegar, combu, sugar, beetroot powder, and water. Shake it then let it refrigerate over night.
- Mix together chili garlic sauce, lemon juice, agave, and vegan mayo. Give it a lid then put it in the fridge too for a bit. This is our sauce.
- Next day, drain the shrimp (saving the liquid). In a bowl mix together flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, and salt.
- Add saved liquid and drizzle over dry ingredients. Take a few cashews at a time and put them into the flour, then into the saved shrimp liquid, then flour again.
- Fill pot with enough oil to fry these.
- Bring temp to 350ºf.
- Fry shrimp until they are golden brown.
- Add them to a bowl and toss them in the sauce! Now enjoy!