Cashew - useful properties and use in cooking. Recipes with cashews.

Cashew - useful properties and use in cooking. Recipes with cashews.

Cashew - Description

Many believe that cashew, as befits a nut fruit, grows directly on the tree. It turns out not quite like that. A juicy cashew fruit hangs on a tree, up to ten centimeters in length, resembling in shape a cross between a pear and an apple. The fruit is delicious, sweet and sour - orange, red or yellow. But only residents of India, Vietnam, South America or tourists can try it fresh. The fact is that juicy apple-cashews last for one or two days, and then spoil. So this apple, on the side opposite to the tail, has a zogulina process in a hard shell. This is the real cashew nut, about three centimeters long.

Cashew - useful properties and use in cooking. Recipes with cashews.

The nut shell contains caustic oil (phenolic resin), which can penetrate the skin and cause severe burns. Nut cleaning is done by special people trained in this case. After cleaning, the kernels of nuts are fried to completely neutralize the poison. That's why nuts are always sold in peeled form.

Cashew fruits grow on a powerful, with a spreading tree crown, which reaches 12-15 meters in height. Brazil is the homeland of the walnut, where you can still meet wild thickets of trees. Cultivated cashews in heat-loving countries - Africa, India, Vietnam, Brazil, Iran, Azerbaijan. The main suppliers of cashew in the world are Vietnam, India and Nigeria.

Cashews are propagated by seeds (nuts), which are first soaked in water for two days. Then the seeds are transferred to small containers filled with earth, in which in two or three weeks the first shoots appear. The grown seedlings are transplanted into the ground, where they develop fairly quickly and two years later the young tree gives the first crop.

Cashew - Useful Properties

Those who have tasted cashews at least once, quickly transfer them to the category of the most beloved nuts - they are not as solid as, for example, almonds or hazelnuts, have a pleasant creamy taste and are very healthy. They contain vitamins: E, group B, PP, important amino acids, including glycine, tryptophan, lysine, useful elements - magnesium, calcium, copper, selenium, phosphorus, iron, which normalize the digestive system, improve brain function , blood vessels, strengthen the immune system. And fatty polyunsaturated acids Omega 3,6,9, contained in cashews, sharpen vision, attention, hearing, improve memory, prevent blood clots, atherosclerosis, prevent arthritis and osteochondrosis. The systematic use of cashew nuts reduces cholesterol, bringing it back to normal. The recommended daily intake is no more than ten per day. And they are advised to drink mineral water. It is believed that the benefits of both walnut and water are enhanced. They recommend cashews for dystrophy, anemia, diabetes, hypertension, diseases of the endocrine system.

Caution is to use nuts for people prone to allergies and small children - for the same reason. Cashew, along with peanuts, is quite a strong allergen.

Cashew - calorie

Calories 100 grams of cashews is 640 kcal.

Cashew - use in cooking

Cashew is a very common nut in Asian and Indian cuisine. It is added to meat, vegetable dishes, not to mention a variety of desserts. Nuts improve the taste of any dish, wherever they are added - in soups, sauces, rice, seasonings, salads, pastries.

In Europe, nuts are often consumed by themselves, or as part of snacks for beer, wine, cocktails. They are fried with salt, honey, caramelized in sugar. Sweet nuts are added to fruit salads, in desserts, sprinkled with ice cream.

Recipe examples with Cashew

Recipe 1: Asian Cashew Chicken

To prepare such a dish is a matter of a few minutes, it can be done quickly for dinner. It turns out sharp, sour-sweet and very tasty. Garnish the chicken better with boiled rice or vegetables.

Ingredients: 0.5 kg of chicken fillet, 3 tablespoons each. starch and soy sauce, a handful of cashews (up to 100g), 5 cloves of garlic, 2 tables. lie vinegar (rice, apple), 1 onion, black pepper, green onions - a large bunch, vegetable oil, salt.

Preparation Method

Cut the fillet into medium slices (about 2 cm), finely chop the garlic and onion. Fry nuts a little and chop with a knife.

Roll meat in starch and fry in hot oil. When it is reddened, take out, and in the same butter put garlic, onion and fry until golden. Return the meat to the pan to the onion, pour in the vinegar and evaporate it for a minute. Pour 100ml water and soy sauce. Stew for a minute or two. Put chopped green onions and nuts, if necessary, dosolit. Stir as boil - turn off.

Recipe 2: Rice with Cashews

Such rice can be served as an original and tasty side dish with fish or chicken, or an independent, vegetarian or lean dish. Ingredients: rice - 150g, 350-400ml of water, 1 onion, a handful of cashews (50g), salt, green onion, butter and lean, black pepper.

Preparation Method

Wash rice, dry. Finely chop the onion, fry slightly until transparent, add the rice, and fry for about a minute with the onion.

Fill with water, salt, boil for a minute on a large fire, then, turning the heat down to a minimum, simmer for twenty minutes, cover with a lid.

Cut the nuts into pieces, fry in a dry frying pan. Then add a piece of butter, chopped green onions, salt, sprinkle with pepper and mix. Combine with prepared rice.

Recipe 3: Roasted Meat with Cashews

Ingredients: 0.5 kg of beef or pork tenderloin, 2 cloves of garlic, a small bunch of green onions, 70-100g of cashews, salt, 1 table each. lie starch, sugar and soy sauce, vegetable oil.

Preparation Method

Meat cut into long strips, about five centimeters in length and slightly less than one centimeter in thickness. Fry in hot oil until crusty. Put on a plate.

Add a little more oil to the pan and fry the finely chopped garlic and green onions. Add chopped nuts and fry, stirring constantly, for about a minute.

In a bowl, mix 100ml of water, starch, sugar, soy sauce and salt. Return the meat to the pan and pour the mixture. Stew meat for about ten to fifteen minutes on low heat until ready.

Cashew - useful tips from experienced chefs

- When buying cashews, it is worth choosing not crushed fruits, but whole kernels, with a smooth surface, not dry and not wrinkled - so they are better preserved.

- Nuts should not be kept warm, otherwise they will pass. It is better to shift to a closed container, and transfer to a refrigerator or freezer, where they lie for six months to a year.

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