Cashewnuts for a change

CASHEWNUTS are nice to munch but there is much more to them than being just a snack at tea time. Here are some recipes to show just what you can do.

Cashewnut Barfi

Ingredients:

Coarsely powdered cashewnuts 2 cups Sugar 2 cups Milk 1 cup Ghee 2 tbsps Cardamom powder 1/4 tsp

Method:

Take a clean saucepan and pour in the ghee. Add the coarsely powdered cashewnuts and fry for a while. Then add sugar and the milk. Simmer on a slow fire. When the mixture begins to leave the sides of saucepan, add the cardamom powder. Pour out the mixture on a greased thali. When cool, cut into desired shapes and store till needed.

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Cashewnut soup

Ingredients:

Cashewnut paste 3 tbsps Cooked potato mash 1 cup Cornflour 1 tbsp Vegetable stock cube 1 Milk 1/2 cup Finely minced onion 1 tbsp Butter 1 tbsp Water 4 cups

Method:

Heat butter in a pan. Then add the onion and fry till light brown. Now mix in the cashewnut paste, milk and vegetable stock cube. Add the water and potato mash and cook for about five minutes. Remove the pan. Mix cornflour with a little milk and add this paste to the soup. Add pepper powder and salt to taste. Simmer for three minutes. Serve hot, garnished if necessary with a few fried and chopped cashewnuts.

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Cashewnut pakoras

Ingredients:

Whole cashewnuts 20 Gram flour 1 cup Rice flour 3 tbsps Cornflour 1 tbsp Chilli powder 1/2 tbsp Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp A few curry leaves Salt to taste Oil for deep frying.

Method:

In a mixing bowl, add the gram flour, rice flour, cornflour, chilli powder, turmeric, finely chopped curry leaves and salt to taste. Add enough water to make a dipping consistency. Heat the oil in a kadai. Dip the cashewnuts, a few at a time, in the prepared batter and deep fry in small batches to a golden brown. Drain, cool and store in an airtight container.

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Cashewnut sukka

Ingredients:

Whole cashewnuts 24 Medium sized onion 1 Medium sized tomato 1 Garam masala powder 1 tbsp Chilli powder 1 tsp Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp Grated coconut 2 tbsps A few curry leaves Ghee 2 tbsps Salt to taste

Method:

Heat the ghee in a kadai and fry the finely sliced onion till light brown. Then add the finely chopped tomato and fry for sometime. Mix in the curry leaves, masala powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder and the coconut. Fry for a few minutes. Now add the cashewnuts and just about half a cup of water and salt to taste. Simmer for about five minutes. Serve hot with rotis.

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Cashewnut potato chops

Ingredients:

Chopped cashewnuts 1 cup

Large boiled potatoes 6 Finely minced onion 2 tbsps Finely minced green coriander 1 tbsp Garam masala powder 1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp Fine bread crumbs 1 cup Salt to taste Oil for shallow frying

Method:

Peel and mash the potatoes and add salt to taste. Heat a tablespoon of oil and fry onion till light brown. Then add the ginger garlic paste, coriander, masala powder and cashewnuts. Add just two tablespoons of water and salt to taste. Cook till dry. Portion the potato mash into eight equal parts. Portion the cashewnut mixture the same way. Hollow a portion of the potato mash and put in a portion of the cashewnut filling. Close into a neat potato chop. Likewise do the rest of the potato chops. Roll these chops in bread crumbs and refrigerate for nine minutes. Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet and fry the chops three at a time on both sides till rich golden brown. Serve hot with tomato sauce or any chutney of your choice.

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Cashewnut mixture

Ingredients:

Chopped cashewnuts 2 cups Chilli powder 1 tbsp Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp Asafoetida 1/4 tsp Curry leaves 3 sprigs Oil 2 tbsps Theel 1 tsp Sliced copra 2 tbsps Sugar (optional) 1 tsp Mustard 1/2 tsp Salt to taste.

Method:

Heat the oil in a kadai and let the mustard splutter. Add the curry leaves, chilli powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida, theel and copra, and mix well. Now add cashewnuts, sugar and salt to taste. Fry till the cashewnuts turn a light brown. Cool and store.

FIFIE MENDONCA

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