An integral part of traditional Indian recipes is their ingredients. With no compromise on the quality, quantity and flavours, our food is as diverse and rich as our culture. Cashew or Kaju has always been an essential part of Indian cooking, adding a royal touch to any dish. Kaju is a versatile ingredient used in sweets and savoury dishes, making it even more valuable in most Indian kitchens. This makes it easy to incorporate cashew nuts into most Indian recipes. It’s vital to choose the best quality cashews available at your local stores or if you’re in the mood to buy cashew nuts online.
Here are seven ways to use cashews in Indian cooking in delectable ways:
Makhani Gravy
You can never go wrong with adding a dash of cashew magic to your favourite gravy dish! The good old Kaju brings a lot to the table, giving gravies a rich, smooth and creamy consistency. Cashew nuts fried until golden brown and ground to a paste can take your bowl of makhani sauce to the next level. The gravy can also be topped with a handful of chopped cashews for garnish.
Idli
Cashew nuts and idlis may sound like an unusual combination, but our favourite nuts do wonders to this timeless South Indian breakfast classic. Right after greasing the idli mould with oil or ghee, a few split cashew nuts can be added before pouring the batter. The idlis can then be steamed for 15-20 mins and served with freshly prepared coconut chutney or sambar.
Khakra
As much as we love Khakra, Khakra shows its love back to us by being so easy to make and healthy. It is our favourite snack to relish. Add cashew nuts to the regular Khakra recipe and enjoy the magic that it adds to it. Follow the steps below to make cashew khakras at home:
Step-1- Mix two cups of wheat flour, 11/2 tablespoon kasoori meethi powder, 4 teaspoon red chilli powder, salt as required, 2 tablespoon refined oil, 2 pinches of turmeric powder, half a cup crushed roasted cashews, and 11/4 cup water. Knead this mixture to prepare a stiff dough.
Step-2- Make small balls out of the dough and prepare very thin chapatis using them.
Step-3- Heat a griddle and roast the chapati until both sides are golden. Use a cloth to press the khakra on the griddle to make it crispier.
Step-4- Serve your khakra hot with pickle.
Shahi Pulao
This royal pulao is incomplete without the touch of royal cashews. Kaju pulao is also the easiest and yummiest pulao to make in less time. Fry Kaju until it turns golden, and then add it to your pulao. Enjoy your shahi dish with some gravy.
Chivda (Fried Poha)
The jar of snacks stored for your tea break can have an additional healthy ingredient in them. After frying the poha while adding the spices, add some roasted and flavoured cashews of your choice. This will make your regular poha much more crunchy and healthy.
Chikki
This timeless favourite Indian snack can also have the goodness of cashews. Just remember to add some cashew nuts to your list of ingredients. This is a great way to sneak cashews in chikkis, especially for children. You can make cashew chikkis at home by following these simple steps:
Step-1- Heat a pan and add 2 tsp ghee. After the ghee melts, add 250 gms jaggery and stir it constantly until it melts completely.
Step-2- After that, add 250 gms chopped cashews and stir the mixture well (you can also add other nuts or just make a cashew chikki as per your choice).
Step-3- Pour the mixture onto a large greased plate and roll it out using a roller.
Step-4- Let the mixture cool, cut it into bars and enjoy your freshly prepared healthy sweet treat!
Kheer
An Indian meal is incomplete without a sweet dish, and kheer is everyone’s favourite. You may call it payesh, kheer, paysum, phirni, or gul-e-firdaus, but in its every form, it’s incomplete without adding cashews. You may add regular chopped cashews or chocolate cashews to give your favourite kheer the much-needed missing taste of royalty. Here are the steps to make the royal kheer for your family and friends:
Step-1- Rinse ¼ cup basmati rice a few times in water and then soak it in a bowl of water for 15-20 minutes.
Step-2- Take 1 ltr milk and boil it for some time.
Step-3- Rinse the soaked rice and add it to the boiling milk, and mix it well. Cook it on low heat.
Step-4- Add 1/2 cup sugar to it. Stir it in intervals. Eventually, add ¼ tsp cardamom powder, sliced cashews, almonds, and pistachios to the kheer and mix it well.
Step-5- Take a tablespoon of milk, add some saffron, and mix it well. Then add this mixture to your prepared kheer for the final touch and serve it hot.
May it be your favourite sweet, gravy, biryani or snack, give them a touch of delectable magic by adding your favourite cashews from Zantye’s. We have the best quality cashews organically farmed, handpicked and prepared just for your kitchen. Buy cashew nuts online from our website and savour your favourite preparations.
You can learn more about the ethical organic farming of cashews here.