Nuts

Paste

Cashew paste is a dense, finely ground concentrate of shelled cashew meats milled until the particles and oil bind into a thick, almost dough-like mass. It is richer and stickier than flour because the fat stays locked in the grind rather than being dried for a free- flowing powder. Confectioners and plant-based cooks prize it for barfi-style sweets, silky dairy-free cream cheese, and ice-cream bases that set without dairy fat. A pale paste starts from blanched kernels; a deeper, toastier paste starts from lightly roasted ones. Soften stiff paste with a spoon of warm water, milk, or syrup before folding it into foams or batters so it does not seize into lumps. Quality paste smells clean and creamy; oxidised paste smells like paint or cardboard and cannot be rescued with sugar. Seal tightly and refrigerate—surface oil can go rancid even when the centre still looks fine. In Indian mithai kitchens and modern vegan pastry alike, this is the workhorse form when body and mild sweetness matter more than visible nut pieces.