“She was the kind of girl who’d eat all your cashews and leave you with nothing but peanuts and filberts.” – Raymond Chandler.
I am the girl Mr Chandler is talking about except I wouldn’t leave any peanuts and neither would I leave any filberts. A filbert is not, in fact, the name of one’s beloved pet goldfish but an alternate name for a hazelnut.
To circle back to the topic at hand; cashew season is upon us and as a self-respecting Goan, I must get my twopence on this out to the masses.
Cashews are the Meryl Streep of the fruit kingdom; there’s nothing they can’t do. From sweets and savouries to alcohols and even milk, there’s use to be found for every part of the cashew. Read on to see several different ways with which you can make a cashew centric mess in your kitchen this summer.
Cashew milk
I remember when milk used to come from cows, buffaloes and if you wanted to be really hipster, even goats. However, the onus of milk production seems to have now been passed on to a variety of nuts (coconut, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts filberts) and the animals can finally rejoice. Check out this recipe and whip up this nutty blend the next time you have some vegans over (why would you though?), or even otherwise, because it really is quite delicious.
Cashew cheese
Some Italian fromager must have rolled over in his grave given this blasphemy but in my defence, if it tastes good, it’s worth it. And this Garlic Herb Avocado Cashew Cream Cheese recipe is so good, it more than makes up for the thoroughly unimaginative name.
Sugar-free cashew cheesecake
As a healthy food and fitness influencer that all 606 of my Instagram followers look up to, after much painstaking research, I have tracked down this recipe of a vegan, sugar-free cheesecake although that sounds more of an oxymoron than anything that I’ve come across recently. Give this recipe a whirl though, I bet you a pack of (Zantye’s) cashews that it’ll surprise you. Like, in a good way.
Kaju bhartha
Make something good out of the fleshy part of the cashew and you have my respect. This recipe of a kaju bhartha might make the job all that much easier.
Cream of Cashew Pea Soup
This soup isn’t just another pretty face. It’s an absolute powerhouse featuring a blend of cashews, green peas and garlic. As far as hearty goes, this soup is tough competition to the homemade chicken soup that has thus far served as a cure for every malady, ranging from fractured limbs to common colds.
Roasted tomato cashew salsa
What a double whammy this dish is. It satisfies your cravings for both cashews and spice all in one go. Head on over to Bon Appetit and learn how to whip up this fiery mix.
Feni cocktails
I deliberately kept this towards the end of the list because let’s be real, most Goans wouldn’t read beyond this point. If it’s the actual feni making process you want to know more about, visit the Cazulo Premium Feni Distillery and Cellar Tour at Fazenda Cazulo. However, if it’s just some non-Goan friends that you want to impress, check out this site for a number of cocktail recipes that pack quite a punch!
What are some of your favourite cashew recipes? Drop them and your address down in the comments below and I’ll zoom over the next time you make them!
[author title=”Shalaka Mainkar” image=”https://itsgoa.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/WhatsApp-Image-2019-04-16-at-12.09.10.jpeg”]Just really short, to be honest. Like this bio.[/author]
