Give Fried Rice Dishes A Kick With Trader Joe's Thai Lime & Chili Cashews

In a sea of retail sameness at grocery stores, most of which stock the same handful of mainstream brands and products, Trader Joe's stands out. By cutting out the middleman and producing their own private label goods instead of sourcing products from outside brands, they both keep their prices low and provide us with a bevy of unique goods you can't find elsewhere. Cult classics at Trader Joe's abound and one such item worth tossing in your cart on your next TJ's run is their Thai Lime & Chili Cashews, which you'll find in the nuts and dried fruit area, sold in a 16-ounce bag retailing for $7.99.

Whole cashews are dusted and coated in a zingy, spicy power of chili powder, lemon grass, dried Thai lime leaves, and salt for a tastebud-zapping (in the best way) treat that is at once lively and bright, salty, and spicy. Not only are they great by the handful as an anytime snack, loaded with protein and healthy fats, but they can also be chopped and sprinkled into savory Asian-inspired dishes. Next time you're making fried rice, lean on the cashews to add a serious jolt of flavor, crunchy texture, and some extra calories and protein for satiety. This hack works just as well whether you're making your own fried rice from scratch or starting with the frozen bagged variety from Trader Joe's.

If you've never tried adding cashews to rice-based dishes before, such as rice pilaf or fried rice, it'll soon become an add-in you can't do without. Cooking rice with cashews is commonly seen in many Indian dishes like Pulao, as well as sweet rice dishes. Cashew's mild, buttery profile is easy to add in as a complement to many dishes and flavors.

Typically when cooking rice and cashews, you'll need to take steps like soaking, seasoning, and roasting. Take a shortcut by using Trader Joe's Thai Lime and Chili cashews, as they're already perfectly seasoned to the max. Either toss in your desired amount straight into your cooked rice when it's ready to serve or use a knife or a manual nut chopper to give the cashews a rough dice and sprinkle in the smaller pieces. Their spicy, tangy flavor also compliments noodle dishes, curries, or veggie stir fries — so try adding to any dish where you want to dial up the flavor.

To finish off your dish, consider serving your rice dish with other TJ's offerings like some protein-rich steamed edamame, their fan-fave frozen Gyozas, or keep it simple and enjoy the rice with cashews as is, perhaps just with a drizzle of their Asian-style Soyaki sauce for an easy weeknight meal that's the farthest thing from boring.