How To Roast Cashews That Taste Like A Gourmet Snack For Less

There is something undeniably luxurious about a buttery, creamy, and deliciously sweet roasted cashew. Since being discovered in Brazil in 1558, cashews have become a staple in cuisines all around the world. Today, cashews are a notable part of Asian, African, and South American dishes. While Costco sells about half of all cashews globally, India remains the top consumer and one of the largest producers of cashews in the world. In their natural state, cashews have a thick, dark outer shell that contains toxins, which is why they're unshelled and heated before they're sold in stores. With all the effort it takes to harvest cashews, they deserve star treatment in the kitchen.

The best way to turn your cashews into a gourmet snack is by roasting them with spices and lime juice. To learn how to roast your cashews like a true professional, we spoke with chef and restaurateur Maneet Chauhan at the New York City Wine & Food Festival. "So with cashew, because it's inherently a sweet ingredient, what I really love to add to it is spice and smoke," she says. Paprika and cumin are a part of Chauhan's cashew seasoning rotation, and for good reason. She continues, "I think the paprika has inherent smokiness. I always love adding roasted cumin... so that there is that smoke and then there is the heat."

Roasting cashews may seem intimidating, but in reality, all you need is time, patience, and your best cooking pan. Cashews are a dry, delicate nut that can burn if you apply too much heat too quickly. Once you have added your cashews to the sauté pan, Maneet Chauhan recommends staying close to monitor them on low heat. To ensure the nuts cook evenly, she constantly stirs them in the pan. She explains, "It has to be low heat because if it's high heat, the exterior is going to burn, and it's not going to be roasted through and through. So, it's low heat — constant movement on a sauté pan."

Cashews will typically roast in the pan for around five minutes, but to make sure that you are not under- or overcooking the nuts, Chauhan suggests closely observing the color of the cashews. "When it reaches the perfect golden brown that you are looking for, I would suggest just a blob of butter," she says. The butter should fully coat the cashews so that once they're removed from the heat source, the spices and lime juice can stick. Just mix the ingredients until they're ready to go. "It's an art. It's a dance. It's that perfect balance," says Chauhan.

In order to elevate the taste of your cashews, spices can be added once the cashews are roasted to a golden brown color. The key is finding seasonings that pair well with the naturally sweet flavor of a cashew. As Maneet Chauhan suggested before, there are many uses for smoked paprika and cumin here. However, a seasoning blend like Tajín upgrades nuts with a spicy twist and suits the tanginess of lime juice.

Alternatively, if you would rather stick to a sweeter coating, she recommends adding sugar to your pan to caramelize the cashews and add an extra layer of crunchiness. A squeeze of lime can help deglaze the pan and add a citrusy flavor to the cashews, and adding coconut can balance the salty, nutty base. "So I think cashews — the inherent sweetness of the cashew — you can add coconut to it," says Chauhan. "You can go in a dessert direction, you can go in a savory direction. I think it can be any way."