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Also Known as
Kaju
What are Cashew Nuts, Kaju?
All over the world it is known mostly by its nuts owing to its unique taste, easy availability and multifarious uses in the kitchen, bakery and confectionery. The kidney-shaped cashew nut is encased in a hard shell with two layers The nut shell is smooth, oily and about one-eighth of an inch thick. Its honeycombed, cellular, inner portion contains the cashew nut. The cashew nut kernel is approximately seven-eighths of an inch in length, and is wrapped in a test or thin brown skin. The nut shell with its side indentation pointed upward, looks like a heart.
Chopped and toasted Cashew nuts, chopped Kaju: Cashews can be chopped horizontally or vertically, with a sharp knife. These are further roasted as mentioned above.
Honey Roasted Cashews: Cashews roasted to perfection, and then covered in a honey coating with a slight touch of salt.
Milk Chocolate Covered Cashews: Cashews roasted and then rolled in milk chocolate.
Dark Chocolate Covered Cashews: These dark chocolate covered cashews are great! Cashews rolled in high quality dark chocolate will satisfy any chocolate lover.
Masala Coated Roasted Kajus- This Kajus are Roasted & Coated with Masalas/Spices This Kajus are available in flavors like- Roasted Miri , Roasted Red Chilly , Roasted Green Chilly , Pudina Lime , Tomato Masala , Jeera Lime , Garlic Chat , Onion Miri /Onion Tomato, Masala Chat, Chatpatta, Khatha Mitha, Ginger Lime Pudina, Manchurian Masala , Hot Mexican Masala , Schezwan Masala , Bhajiya Kajus etc
Broken cashew nut
Also called as cashew nut halves - Cashew Kernels broken evenly into 2 parts are less expensive than wholes. They are used in economy packs and also for candy bars, sweets and pastry. Splits are crisper than wholes and sometimes preferred for that reason.
Cashew nut halves
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Place the cashew nut one at a time on the chopping board and with the help of a sharp knife slice each cashew nut into half vertically. These are better store-bought than cut into halves manually at home as it's a tedious and time consuming process.
Cashew nut paste
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Cashew paste can be made soaking cashew in little water or milk. Then add it to blender and form a smooth paste using little water. It can be added to vegetable or baked dishes to augment flavour.
Chopped cashew nut
Cashews can be chopped horizontally or vertically, with a sharp knife. It can be stored in a tight jar and refrigerated. It comes handy to use whenever required.
Crushed cashew nut
Cashews can be crushed with a mortar and pestle. A special cashew crusher is also available in the market. This helps to keep the oils of the cashew intact while crushing. It can be stored in a tight jar and refrigerated. It comes handy to use whenever required.
Fried cashew nut
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Whole or half cashews can be shallow or deep fried in Oil, Ghee or Butter, as per the recipe. It can be added to any snack, Rice or Vegetable preparation.
Powdered cashew nut
Cashews can be finely powdered or coarsely powdered in a grinder. Fine powder can be sprinkled on any sweet preparation. It can be quickly used for making cashew paste, Cashew milk. Coarse cashew powder can be used to make desserts like sheera and halwa.
Toasted cashew nut
"Toasting" nut, in the oven or in the microwave is one of the good ways to avoid addition of fat. There's nothing like the taste of a freshly roasted cashew. While we love raw and unsalted cashews, especially for cooking, roasted and salted make a delightful snacking experience. The sweetness of the nut is enhanced by roasting and a light sprinkling of salt. Roasted cashews are widely available, both salted and unsalted, whole or in pieces.
Toasted salted cashew nut
Toasted salted cashews are a treat. . Sprinkling a little salt on toasted nuts enhances the taste and is a delicious snack. It is usually done by; spreading cashews in a single layer over the. Then cook for 10-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are golden-brown. They can burn quickly, so keep an eye on them. Cool them and sprinkle salt as desired. One advantage to toast cashews at home is you can limit the amount of salt. The nut industry apparently uses a salt-flour mixture to increase adhesion, which is the powdery stuff you find at the bottom of a can. In markets, it is available under various brands. Check the freshness with the help of manufacturing and expiry date
How to Select Cashew Nuts, Kaju
While purchasing cashews in bulk or in a packaged container make sure that there is no evidence of moisture or insect damage and that they are not shriveled. If it is possible to smell the cashews, do so in order to ensure that they are not rancid.
13 Uses of Cashew Nuts, Kaju in Indian Cooking
Cashew is a nut that is pale white in color and comes encased in a hard outer nut shell. This nut is sweetish in taste and is quite buttery. It can be eaten in many ways and tastes great in savory and sweet recipes.
1. The sweet, buttery-tasting cashew is a perfect snack when either eaten raw or toasted with a little masala to make healthy roasted cashews.
2. Cashews are one of the main ingredients in Punjabi gravies and subzis. When blended together with different types of masalas, cashews form a smooth paste which gives a great consistency and thickness to the gravy. This addition also balances the flavor of the curry for example in Dum Aloo and Paneer Pasanda.
3. These nuts are an essential in Indian food. Apart from being used in gravies, they are added to different rice preparations for a certain amount of crunch to the dish. They are most commonly used in Biryanis and Pulaos but sometimes also in the South Indian delicacy, Bisi Bele Bhaat.
For complete uses of Cashew Nuts read this article.
How to Store Cashew Nuts
Cashews are highly perishable and can turn rancid quickly due to their high oil content.
Store cashews in a cool, dry place in an airtight container to avoid absorption of other food odors. At room temperature, they will not last long, but if you refrigerate them, they can last up to six months. Cashews may also be frozen up to one year. Because of their high fat content, they should be stored, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator to retard rancidity. As with most nuts, roasting cashews brings out their nutty flavor.
Nutritional Information of Cashew Nuts, Kaju
28 grams of Cashew nuts.
RDA stands for Recommended Daily Allowance.
Nutritional Information for 28 grams ( 1 ounce) of Cashew nuts.
166 Calories
5.93 grams of Protein
6.2 grams of Carbs
13.13 grams of Fat
Full Cashew Nut Nutritional details refer to article.
9 Health Benefits of Cashew Nuts, Kaju
1. Good for Heart : Eating a handful of Cashew Nuts a day is said to increase the good cholesterol (HDL) in your body. HDL helps remove bad fats from the blood. In general, walnuts, cashew nuts, peanuts, almonds, pistachios and pine nuts are a healthy snack to carry keep with you as they are rich in monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Perfect to eat a mix of them or try different nuts each day for your Heart .
Full Cashew Health Benefits details refer to article.
Glycemic Index of Cashew Nuts, Kaju
Cashew Nuts has a Glycemic Index of 21 which is low. Glycemic Index are for foods you eat, ranks carbohydrate-containing foods by how quickly they digest and raise your blood sugar or glucose levels. Foods rank from 0 to 50 are low GI, 51 to 69 are medium and 70 to 100 are high. Foods that are high in GI are not suitable for weight loss and diabetics. Foods like Cashew Nuts have a low GI and hence don't spike your glucose level as they are absorbed slowly. Great for weight loss and Diabetics.
Health Information of other Nuts:
11 health Benefits of Peanuts
11 health Benefits of Walnuts
9 health Benefits of Almonds