Cashews carry both sweet and savoury Indian cooking — as the star of a mithai or the silky body of a restaurant gravy. A few essentials to start.
The diamond-cut cashew fudge. Cashew flour cooked with a one-string sugar syrup, rolled thin and cut. Best with W320 or pieces ground fine.
Whole or split kernels in a rich onion-tomato-cashew gravy. Splits keep cost down without losing richness.
Dry-roast or lightly oil-toast W240/W320 with salt and a pinch of chilli. Crisp, not burnt — pull them just as they turn golden.
Soak, blend with water, strain or not. Creamy, neutral, no straining needed if blended smooth — great for coffee and curries.
Soaked cashews blended to a smooth paste — the secret body in kormas, shahi gravies and makhani.
The finishing touch on pulao, kheer and halwa. Fry pieces or splits in ghee till just golden.