California Walnut, Corn & Potato Chowder
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup corn
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 3/4 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 medium sized potato, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup California Walnut Cream
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped chives for garnish
Preparation:
- Heat oil in a large sauce pot. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Add celery and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add vegetable broth, corn, vinegar, celery salt, smoked paprika, potato and bell pepper. Cover and cook for 30 to 40 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
- Stir in walnut cream and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chives and reserved corn and red pepper.
- For Walnut Cream – Puree 2 cup walnuts and 1 cup water in a blender or food processor until very smooth and light and fluffy, cover and store in an airtight container until ready to use.
Vegetable & Walnut Paella
Ingredients:
- 2 large pinches of saffron
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 250g paella rice
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 400g canned tomatoes, chopped
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 100g California walnuts
- 150g fine green beans, trimmed and cut into 3
- 400g canned butter beans, drained and rinsed
- 800ml vegetable stock
- ½ x 25g pack flat leaf parsley
Preparation:
- Soak the saffron in 1 tablespoon boiling water and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan with a lid and fry the onion for 5 minutes, add the garlic and fry for another 2-3 minutes. Stir in the rice and paprika.
- Stir in the chopped tomatoes, pepper, walnuts, saffron liquid, green beans and butter beans and add half the stock, cover and simmer gently for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, gradually adding the remaining stock until the rice is just tender, season and stir in the parsley.
Edamame Walnut Dip
Ingredients:
- 1 cup fresh or frozen edamame, shucked
- ¾ cup California walnuts
- ½ loosely packed parsley
- ¼ low-fat plain yogurt
- 1 small garlic clove, pressed
- ¼ teaspoon slat
Preparation:
- If using frozen edamame, rinse under hot water until thawed.
- Place the edamame, walnuts, parsley, yoghurt, garlic and salt in the food processor.
- Blend until smooth. You can store this dip refrigerated in a covered container for up to three days.
Smoked Salmon Mousse with Walnut Salsa Verde
Ingredients:
Smoked Salmon:
- 1 cup (250ml) hot smoked salmon, flaked
- 1 ½ tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon shallot, minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3 slices rye bread
- 2 tablespoon butter, melted
Walnut Salsa Verde:
- ⅓ cup California walnuts
- 2 tablespoon sweet gherkins, minced
- 2 tablespoon each chopped fresh dill, mint and parsley
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon capers, minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- A pinch red pepper flakes
Preparation:
- Combine salmon, mayonnaise, honey, Dijon mustard, shallot and lemon juice in a medium bowl and set aside.
- In another bowl, combine the walnut salsa verde ingredients.
- With a cookie cutter or shot glass and a knife, slice the rye bread into 1 ½-inch (3.5 cm) rounds and brush each side with melted butter. Toast the rye bread rounds in a non-stick skillet on medium heat until browned on both sides.
- Place rye bread toasts on a plate and spoon 1 tablespoon of the smoked salmon mixture on top. Follow with 1 teaspoon of walnut salsa verde.
- Garnish each with a sprig of dill.
- Serve immediately.
Tip: Smoked salmon can be substituted with canned or leftover baked or grilled salmon. The smoked salmon and walnut salsa verde can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Cut out rye toast rounds, butter and toast right before serving, or serve on store-bought crostini.
California Walnut Kalakand (Milk Cake)
Ingredients:
- 5 cups walnuts
- 1L milk
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 4-5 cardamoms, powdered
- 1/2 can condensed milk
- 1/4 teaspoon rose water
- Chopped walnuts and dried rose petals, to garnish
Preparation:
- Roast walnuts in a pan on medium low heat for 3-4 minutes. Let cool, and then coarsely chop. Keep aside.
- Line a strainer with muslin cloth over a wide bowl and keep aside.
- In a heavy bottom pan, add whole milk and heat on medium high, stirring often. Let milk come to a boil, then turn heat off. Add 1 tablespoon juice, stir. If required, add another teaspoon till milk curdles completely and the whey separates.
- Pour curdled milk over the muslin lined strainer. Wash the chena (curdled milk) to rid of the lemon flavor.
- Squeeze out a little of the excess water- be careful not to over squeeze else the kalakand will be too dry. Tie the edges of the muslin cloth and let it hang over the sink faucet for 10-15 minutes.
- In a pan, add the condensed milk, and chena (curdled milk). Mix and cook on low, stirring often. Cook for 10-12 minutes, till mixture thickens a bit and starts leaving the sides. Do not dry out completely.
- Add cardamom powder and chopped walnuts, reserving a few to sprinkle on the top.
- Grease an 8-inch pan, and line with parchment paper. Spread the mixture in half of the pan (the kalakand needs to be thick). Sprinkle the nuts and dried rose petals on top. Let set for a few hours, before cutting and serving.
California Walnut and Chicken Kebabs
Ingredients:
- 500g ground chicken
- 2 teaspoons melted butter
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup carrot, finely shredded
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons bread crumb
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint, finely chopped
- 3-4 green chillies, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Preparation:
- Mix all the ingredients well in a bowl. Refrigerate covered for 2 hours. Oil hands, and thread skewers through chicken mix.
- Heat oil in a pan, add the skewers and cook the kebabs on each side till chicken is cooked through. Alternatively, grill them for 10-15 minutes, turning them and basting with melted butter till cooked through.
- You could also air fry or bake them in the oven. Serve immediately with mint chutney and onion rings.
Potato and California Walnut Veg Cutlets
Ingredients:
- 4-5 medium potatoes, boiled
- 2-3 green chillies, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves
- 1/3 cup green capsicum, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped carrots
- 1/3 cup French beans, chopped
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon amchur powder (dried mango powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon kasuri methi, crushed (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- A pinch of black salt
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 1/2 cup poha powdered with 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
For coating:
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup poha, powdered
- Slurry of rice powder and water
- In a bowl, mix all ingredients except for those under coating. Oil hands and shape the cutlets.
- Make a slurry with the rice powder and water in a flat bowl. In another flat bowl, add the bread crumbs and poha and mix.
- Dip shaped cutlets in slurry, and then coat with the bread crumbs. Once coated refrigerate cutlets for an hour.
- Heat oil in a pan, and shallow fry the cutlets till golden brown on both sides. Alternatively, you can air fry or bake them too. Serve warm.
Til and California Walnut Barfi
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 500ml full fat milk
- 1/2 cup milk powder
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 3/4 cup sesame seeds
- 1/3 cup jaggery powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
Preparation:
- In a pan over medium low heat, add the sesame seeds and heat 3-4 minutes. They will turn slightly golden and pop. Do not burn. Let cool and coarsely grind them.
- Pulse walnuts to make walnut meal. Be careful to not over grind, else you will make walnut butter.
- In a heavy bottom pan, heat ghee. Add milk and stir. Let the milk come to a soft boil over medium heat. Add the milk powder. Cook over medium heat, stirring often. Make sure to scrape the sides of pan. Cook for 10-15 minutes, till milk is reduced to half.
- Add walnut and jaggery powder, and mix well. Cook for another 5-6 minutes.
- Add in the powdered sesame seeds. Mix well. Stir another 2-3 minutes. Add in the cardamom powder and chopped walnuts (reserving a few for the top). Mix well. Stir till mixture thickens and starts leaving the pan and looks doughy. Turn off heat.
- Grease a 5” by 7” pan. Line it with parchment paper. Spread the cooked mixture evenly. Top with the reserved chopped walnuts, and sprinkle some sesame seeds. Let set for an hour in the refrigerator. Cut into rectangles and serve.
California Walnut Anjeer Phirni
Ingredients:
- 12-13 dried figs, plus 3 figs
- 1/4 cup basmati rice
- 1/2 cup California walnuts
- 1L milk
- 12-15 saffron strands
- 6-7 green cardamoms, ground
- A pinch of nutmeg
- 4-5 tablespoons condensed milk
Preparation:
- Soak 12-13 dried figs in warm water for 1 hour. Drain water and grind to a smooth paste – use 2-3 tablespoons of the soaked water if required to make a smooth paste.
- Rinse 1/4 cup basmati rice a couple of times in water. Drain and let dry completely on a sheet pan. Once dry add to dry grinder and grind to a coarse consistency. You do not want a powder but coarse semolina texture. Remove, then pulse the walnuts to a walnut meal consistency.
- In a thick bottom pan, heat 1L milk. Bring to a boil. Once milk is hot remove 1 tablespoon of milk and add to a bowl with the saffron strands.
- When milk starts boiling, add the ground rice and walnut meal, and stir well. Add the condensed milk and stir well. Cook on low heat, keep stirring often.
- When the rice granules are almost cooked, add the cardamom powder, saffron milk, nutmeg and the fig paste. Mix well. Let simmer for a bit. Total cooking time is around 25 minutes after the addition of rice.
- Transfer to earthen clay pots and let chill in the refrigerator for a few hours. Garnish with walnut shavings, chopped figs and dried rose petals.
California Walnut Chikki
Ingredients:
- 1 cup California walnuts
- 150g jaggery
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon ghee
- 1/2 teaspoon saunf/fennel seeds
Preparation:
- Roast 1 cup of walnuts in a pan on medium heat, constantly stirring for a few minutes. Remove from heat, chop into small pieces.
- Prepare the back of a baking tray/pan- grease with oil/butter, and line it with parchment paper. Keep aside.
- In a thick bottom pan, add grated jaggery, water and let melt. Once melted, then add ghee. Boil on medium low heat, stirring constantly. Keep cooking on low flame till sugar consistency is correct.
- Remove from flame once this stage is achieved. Mix in the walnuts and fennel seeds, and immediately spread out to the prepared pan.
- Top with another parchment paper, and using a rolling pin flatten the mixture in a rough rectangle. Remove the top parchment, and while still warm, make marks and cut the chikki.
- Cool completely and store in air tight container.
Note: To check for the syrup to be ready, keep a glass of cold water on the side, and drop tiny amounts of the syrup. The sugar syrup should come to a hard ball stage wherein when dropped in the water it will harden to a small ball, and when pulled should not be stringy but brittle.
