Walnuts

Walnuts, akhrot in Hindi and Urdu, grow in the cool valleys of Kashmir and the northern hills of Pakistan, where they are part of everyday cooking. Kashmiri walnut chutney blends walnuts with yoghurt, green chilli and mint, and walnuts go into winter sweets, halwa and panjiri. Walnut halves are the shelled nut, split along the natural seam, ready to eat or chop. In British and European baking they belong in coffee and walnut cake, banana bread, brownies and carrot cake.

Look for halves with a pale, even colour, which means a milder, fresher taste; darker pieces are more bitter. Halves are best for decorating cakes and eating whole, and they chop easily for baking. A smaller pack is plenty for a cake or two, and a larger pack suits anyone who eats walnuts daily or bakes often. Walnuts pair well with honey, dates and figs, and a few in a morning porridge or a salad with pear and cheese add texture.

Walnuts have more oil than most nuts and go stale faster, so keep them in an airtight container in the fridge, or freeze them for up to a year. Toasting them for five minutes in a medium oven brings out their sweetness and softens the bitterness. Browse nuts for almonds and mixed nuts, and pair walnuts with dates or honey.