The cashew nut is a favorite addition to dishes and desserts in our family. Not really a nut, it’s actually the seed of the cashew apple and hangs out from below it. While the apple finds use in wines and drinks such as the Goan feni and or in tasty Indian curries, the cashew nut (seed really) is added to dishes in whole, broken or ground form. We’ll have to thank the Portuguese for bringing this tree to India in the 16th century.
So what do we use cashewnuts in? Here’s a list of our cashew-based desserts and dishes.
Mains and Sides That have a lot of or A Little Cashewnuts
1. Beef Tongue Roast
Beef Tongue Roast is a simple and easy-to-cook recipe using a handful of ingredients. All you need is an hour and a half!
Find Out More!
2. Beef or Ox Tongue Stir Fry with Dried Fruit
Beef or Ox Tongue Chilly fry or stir fry is a rich dish made of tongue, onions and dried fruit. Easy-to-cook, it's the recipe using a handful of ingredients. All you need is an hour and a half!
Find Out More!
3. Traditional East Indian Wedding Rice
Wedding rice is a delicious and tasty dish served at most East Indian weddings and special functions.
Find Out More!
4. Chicken Liver Stuffing – Giblet Pudding
The traditional East Indian stuffing for Christmas meals consist of a chicken liver and bread pudding that's stuffed into the chickens' cavity before roasting. Here's how to make this delicious homemade liver stuffing that's sometimes called a giblet stuffing.
Find Out More!
5. Easy Burnt Onion Rice
Burnt onion rice is a different sort of tasty rice! All it needs is a few onions and a handful of nuts and you can easily eat it on its own or with chutney.
Find Out More!
6. Goat Brain Masala: Spicy East Indian Bheja Curry
Goat brain masala the East Indian way — slow-cooked with ghee, Kashmiri chillies, coconut, and whole spices. Abby's mum's bheja curry, ready in 50 minutes.
Find Out More!
7. Purple Cabbage Stir Fry Recipe
A quick purple cabbage stir fry with soy sauce, pepper and olive oil — ready in 10 minutes. Skip the sugar for the Daniel Fast. Serve with chapati, rice or puris.
Find Out More!
8. East Indian Stuffed Roast Chicken
Roast chicken can be stuffed with a tasty liver stuffing (giblet pudding). The glazed crispy chicken skin tastes as delicious as the juicy flesh; and carves out just perfectly!
Find Out More!
Pickles, Chutneys and Spreads with Cashews in them
9. East Indian Wedding Pickle – Carrot and Raw Papaya Pickle
Sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and tangy at the same time, the traditional East Indian wedding pickle takes a few weeks to prepare. This is our modified modern and richer version of this mouth-watering raw papaya and carrot pickle.
Find Out More!
10. East Indian Mango Chutney — Chunda Pickle
A traditional East Indian sweet and spicy mango chutney made with raw mango, jaggery, sugar, almonds, and raisins. Similar to Gujarati chunda — lasts for months.
Find Out More!
11. How to Make Mustard Paste at Home (Rich Mustard Paste Recipe)
Mustard paste is easy to make at home with just a few ingredients. Our version is extra rich thanks to added cashews. Perfect on sandwiches or as a flavor boost for meat and chicken dishes.
Find Out More!
12. Mom’s Green Pista Chutney
Mom makes a green pista chutney that we use as a spread for sandwiches or tortillas and as a dip for snacks. Here's how to make our version of this tasty Indian chutney.
Find Out More!
13. East Indian Tomato Kusondi (Tomato Pickle)
The East Indian Tomato Kusondi is a tomato pickle that’s a much lovelier version of the regular Maharastrian tamtar kusandi; using almost the same ingredients, but with a lot more zing.
Find Out More!
Desserts made with Cashews
14. Cashew Rock or Almond Rock – East Indian Version
The easier counterpart to marzipan, cashew rock or almond rock is shaped like the Indian kaju katli, but a lot tastier.
Find Out More!
15. East Indian Cashewnut Marzipan (Christmas Dessert)
The East Indian Cashewnut Marzipan is an East Indian Christmas dessert that's moulded into the shapes of Christmas ornaments or fruits and flowers.
Find Out More!
16. Cashewnut Marzipan Easter Eggs
East Indians traditionally make marzipan Easter eggs to celebrate the joy of Christ's resurrection. This recipe shows you how to make marzipan Easter eggs at home with cashewnut paste.
Find Out More!
17. Sojee Sweet – Sojee Halwa Pieces – Semolina Dessert
A simple dessert made of semolina, the sojee sweet is an adordable Christmas sweet. Traditionally colored green, you'll find it on every East Indian Christmas platter.
Find Out More!
18. Homemade Gajar Halwa
Gajar Halwa is a delicious Indian sweet dish of carrots. Eaten hot or cold, this mouth-watering dessert will keep you coming back for seconds!
Find Out More!
19. Vegan Marzipan Easter Eggs (Eggless Glutenfree Recipe)
Eggless Marzipan Easter Eggs are a delicious and soft treat for Easter time! Celebrate Christs' resurrection with these delightful vegan and gluten free Paschal Eggs.
Find Out More!
20. Dark Fruit Cake – Rich Fruit Cake
East Indian dark fruit cake is so rich and dense, you'll go back for seconds and thirds. Serve for Christmas lunch or dinner with some great homemade wine. Or serve for celebratoins and dinner parties!
Find Out More!
21. Light Fruit Cake – Mixed Fruit Cake – Tooti Frooti Cake
Light Fruit Cake or Tooti Frooti Cake is a delicious treat for Christmas or even at tea time. So yum and fruity, you won't be able to stop at just one piece of Mixed Fruit Cake.
Find Out More!
22. White Chocolate Mamra Munchies | Easy White Chocolate Snacks
A yummy bite of white chocolate mamra munchies that will satiate your sweet tooth. Made with puffed rice and nuts in 15 minutes, these easy homemade snacks are a tad healthy too!
Find Out More!
23. Pumpkin Halwa (Kaddu ka Halwa)
Kaddu ha halwa is a delicious pumpkin Indian dessert that is quick and easy to make. The perfect heartwarming use of a winter sqaush.
Find Out More!
24. Bottle gourd Halwa (Dudhi or Lauki ka Halwa)
Bottle gourd halwa is a traditional Indian mithai that is very easy to make, and tastes delicious hot or cold.
Find Out More!
25. Lightning McQueen Checkerboard Sponge Cake
A checkerboard sponge cake shaped in the form of Lightning McQueen. Kids who watch Disney's Cars movies will love this cake.
Find Out More!
26. Indian Custard Powder Halwa (Dessert)
The Indian Custard Powder Halwa is an easy to make sweet using just custard powder or cornflour, sugar, ghee and nuts.
Find Out More!
27. Khajur Barfi — Indian Date and Dry Fruit Barfi
Khajur barfi (also called khajur pak) is a no-sugar, dairy-free, gluten-free Indian sweet made from dates, figs, and chopped nuts. No mawa, no added sugar — just the natural sweetness of khajoor and anjeer pressed into a firm barfi or rolled into a log.
Find Out More!
28. Sugarfree Anjeer Barfi – Indian Fig Dessert
Anjeer barfi or fig barfi is a traditional Indian dry fruit barfi that's rich to taste and full of nutty flavor. Here is our version of it, a sugar free gluten free anjeer barfi.
Find Out More!
29. Pancakes with Coconut Filling – Elijao
The thin traditional pancakes made by the East Indian community of Mumbai are different from regular pancakes. But these tasty coconut-filled sweet pancakes (elijao) are a delight to eat!
Find Out More!
How many of these yummy dishes do you make too? And what else do you add cashewnuts to? Comment and let us know!
Other posts you might like
- Dill hummus with sesame seeds
- Pork sambari curry
- Fried ray fish or skate fish
- Cordial of coconut dessert
- Mutton khudi curry
Heya, I’m Abby! I’m a Gourmand Award-winning cookbook author and East Indian from Bombay, India. This blog is all about faith, food, and culture – from East Indian recipes to home, DIY, and spending time in the Word. Find out more about me here!