Mundhiri (cashew nuts)

Mundhiri (முந்திரி) is the Tamil name for the cashew nut — the
kernel of the cashew tree, Anacardium occidentale. If you searched for “mundhiri in English”, the answer
is simply: cashew nut. In Hindi it is kaju.

What W320 means

Piqurs stocks W320 whole cashew kernels. In the cashew trade the grade is a count, not a size
in millimetres: W stands for whole white kernels, and 320 is the number of kernels per pound. A
lower number means larger kernels (W240 is bigger than W320), a higher number means smaller ones. W320 sits in
the middle — large enough to look generous on a plate, and the grade most commonly traded in South India,
which is why it is the one we keep.

Where ours comes from

Our kernels are sourced from Panruti in Tamil Nadu, then graded and packed for shipping from the Nilgiris.
Panruti is one of the older cashew belts in the state; the kernels are sorted for whole, unbroken whites before
packing.

How cashew nuts are used in South Indian cooking

• Whole, fried in ghee or coconut oil — the standard garnish on biryani, pulao and
  payasam, and on top of a South Indian meal.
• Ground to a paste — with a little water or coconut, it thickens Chettinad and
  Kongunadu kurma and kuzhambu without flour.
• In kurma — the vegetable kurma served with idiyappam, appam, parotta and
  idli leans on cashew for its body.
• In Kerala ishtu and cashew curry — cashew simmered in coconut milk with ginger,
  green chilli and curry leaves.
• In sweets — as the garnish on payasam and semiya payasam, and in cashew
  halwa.

Storing them

Cashew kernels are high in fat, so they keep best away from heat, light and air. Move them into an airtight
container once the pack is open and store it in a cool, dark cupboard; in a humid South Indian kitchen a jar in
the fridge holds them fresh considerably longer.

Buying

We ship W320 whole cashew kernels in 50g, 100g, 250g, 500g and 1kg packs, across India —
see pack sizes and prices, and the recipe for Mundhiri pakoda (cashew fritters).