Natto Nacho cheese

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Ingredients

  • 50 – 60 g natto
  • 1 – 2 tbsp nooch
  • 1 –1.5 tbsp cashew butter
  • rice vinegar
  • tamari
  • ponzu
  • yellow mustard
  • kala namak ( and/or salt )
  • 0.5 – 2 tsp garlic powder
  • white pepper powder
  • cashew milk ( variable )
  • 1 – 2 tsp miso paste ( optional ) for more umami
  • sweetener ( optional ) ( date syrup and/or stevia )

Instructions

  1. If the natto is frozen, defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
  2. Stir/whisk natto in a bowl with chopsticks until it becomes stringy and creamy. Using a fork is not reccommended.
  3. Add all liquid ingredients (except for the cashew milk) and salts to taste and whisk til dissolved.
  4. Stir in the rest of the solid ingredients.
  5. Adjust consistency to desired viscosity by adding cashew milk while stirring.

The resulting texture and color should resemble nacho cheese.

How does it compare to regular nacho cheese?

  • creamy and slightly sticky just like real nacho cheese
  • you can customize the level of umami
  • doesn’t dry out quickly like nacho cheese, where the cheese requires heating to stay melted and the roux dries out and hardens as water evaporates
  • high protein, low-carb and somewhat low fat
  • far less oily: the primary source of oil is from the cashew butter
  • less filler ( flour/roux/starch, sodium citrate ) means more flavor
  • can be eaten at room temperature, warmed or chilled