Cashew
Cashews are curved, buttery-soft nuts prized for their creaminess, used both as a crunchy stir-fry ingredient across Asian cuisines and blended smooth as a dairy-free base in vegan cooking.
How to buy
Raw or roasted cashews should look pale ivory and uniform, without dark spots or a stale smell. Pieces are much cheaper than whole cashews and work fine for cooking, chutneys, or blending, where appearance doesn't matter.
How to store
Store cashews in an airtight container; at room temperature they'll keep for a few weeks, but refrigerating or freezing extends freshness to several months since their fat content makes them prone to going rancid.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Mild, buttery, and slightly sweet, with less assertive flavor than almonds or walnuts, which makes cashews especially good for blending into creamy sauces without overpowering other flavors.
- Texture
- Softer and creamier than most other tree nuts, cashews turn almost custard-like when soaked and blended, while staying crisp when roasted or fried whole.
- Aroma
- A mild, sweet, buttery smell that becomes more pronounced and toasty when roasted.
How to prepare
- Roasted whole — Toasted plain or with oil and salt as a simple, rich snack.
- Soaked and blended — Soaked in water then blended smooth into creamy sauces, dressings, or vegan cheese.
- Ground into paste — Ground into a paste used to thicken and enrich curries and gravies.
- Stir-fried — Added whole or halved to stir-fries for crunch and richness.
Classic dishes
American
- Vegan cashew cream sauce — Soaked, blended cashews used as a dairy-free base for creamy pasta sauces and dressings.
- Cashew brittle — Whole cashews set into a crisp caramel candy.
- Cashew-crusted fish — Fish fillets coated in crushed cashews before baking or pan-frying for a crunchy crust.
Chinese
- Kung pao chicken — A spicy stir-fry of chicken, chiles, and peanuts or cashews in a tangy sauce.
- American Chinese cashew chicken — A takeout staple of stir-fried chicken and cashews in a savory brown sauce.
- Chinese cashew and shrimp stir-fry — Shrimp stir-fried quickly with cashews, garlic, and scallion.
Indian
- Kerala cashew curry — A South Indian curry where cashews are simmered whole in a spiced coconut gravy.
- Butter chicken — A rich, creamy curry whose silky gravy is traditionally thickened with ground cashews.
- Chicken korma — A mild, fragrant braise where a cashew paste gives the sauce its characteristic creaminess.
- Kaju katli — A dense, diamond-cut Indian sweet made from ground cashews and sugar.
- Goan cashew curry with coconut — A coastal Indian curry blending cashews with coconut milk and tamarind for a rich, tangy sauce.
Thai
- Gai med mamuang — A Thai stir-fry of chicken, dried chiles, and roasted cashews in a sweet-savory sauce.
- Thai cashew vegetable stir-fry — Mixed vegetables stir-fried with roasted cashews in a light soy-based sauce.
Mediterranean
- Vegan cashew cheese — A soft, spreadable cheese alternative made from fermented, blended cashews.
Filipino
- Antipolo-style cashew tarts — Small sweet tarts and pastries built around cashews from the famous cashew-growing region of Antipolo.