Creamy Indian nut “cream cheese”

A truly creamy Indian nut “cream cheese” that tastes like the real thing!

Sometimes you’re immediately craving creamy cream cheese, but if you’re trying to avoid dairy products, the classic version of cream cheese is out of the question. The herbal lubricants you find on the shelves also tend to contain unnecessary ingredients, which does not make them a viable alternative. Not to worry, though, because the richness of Indian nuts comes to the rescue, making them an excellent ingredient for cream cheese. If you add a little coconut cream, the result is a really silky cream cheese that you can refine to your taste. The hazelnut cream cheese is free of additives and of course it does not contain a drop of animal milk, it is light on the stomach and it is good for the taste buds. This will take your healthy sandwiches or pastries to a whole new level!

Quantity: 250-300g on average
Preparation time: 30 minutes + cooling time in the fridge.
Severity: light
To prepare you need:

• 200 g Indian nuts
• water (for cooking nuts)
• 2 tablespoons of full-fat coconut cream (like this one)
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon sea salt or Himalayan salt (add more/less if you wish)
• 1 teaspoon onion powder (optional)
• finely chopped green onions or other herbs (optional)
• a food processor or more powerful blender

How to make Indian nut “cream cheese”?

First, prepare the Indian nuts. To do this, place them in a pot with the water (add enough to cover the nuts) and bring to the boil. Cover the pot with a lid, lower the heat and cook the nuts under the lid on low heat for 20 minutes. Then, using a sieve, crush the nuts, rinse gently under cool water and set aside to cool. Once the nuts have cooled to at least room temperature, add them to a food processor or blender with the coconut cream, lemon juice and seasoning and blitz until smooth and silky.

When the cream cheese is ready, stir in chopped green onion or other herbs of your choice. As the cream cheese may be a little warm, put it in a (glass) container with a lid and let it cool in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. This is how the cream cheese gets its right flavour and texture. Then indulge in a treat of your choice.

The hazelnut cream cheese will keep nicely for 4-5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.