Instructions: India is a country where those with a sweet tooth will find themselves overwhelmingly indulged. Every whim is catered for in the endless parade of sweet dishes from the richest clotted cream to the most delicate sugared sweetmeats. Many are sprinkled with petals silver and gold leaf and an assortment of nuts. Chirongi nuts are an important garnish for halwas cakes and creams and are favoured in Gutarat Maharashtra and Hyderabad.

how they grow
Sometimes called charooli or chirolo chirongi nuts have no English name. They ale the kernels of a fruit whose shell dries to a bustle hardness. The fruit is cracked open and the nuts are extracted.These are further dricd and then packed for distribution.

appearance and taste
Chirongi nuts are small pale and speckled with dark patches. They are slightly flat and round in shape and are the size of lentils. They have a slightly nutty aroma and a pronounced taste that is between nutty and musky.

buying and storing
As they are quite difficult to come by outside India you will only kind them at well stocked indian grocery shops. Store them in a airtight jar for up to 6 months.

medicinal and other uses
Like almonds chirongi nuts have been credited with the power to sharpen concentration improve eyesight and provide strength and vlgour.

culinary uses
Used primarily as a topping for sweets they go especially well with sweet halwas where vegetables like carrots and fruits like bananas and sapotas (chikoo) are cooked with sugar until smooth and creamy. They are also a must on top of a delightful dessert called shrikhand which is a tantalising combination of thick strained yoghurt sugar saffron cardamom and milk that has been cooked on a slow heat until it resembles condensed cream. Chirongi nuts are used for texture and nuttiness in kababs and kormas. You could be innovative and sprinkle them on fault salads soups and chicken or lamb dishes.

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