Preparing the nuts
Use suitable nuts. The best nuts to use as thickening agents that are readily available include: hazelnuts, cashew nuts, Brazil nuts, almonds and pistachios.
Grind the nuts finely. Do this just before you're going to add them, to ensure freshness. Nuts can be ground in a food processor or a coffee bean grinder that has been purchased for nut grinding.
Adding the ground nuts
Wait until the end of the cooking process for sauces and gravies. The thickening will occur once the nuts are added and the nuts need to be cooked in. Ground nuts can be added to stews and soups toward the end of the cooking process if the stew seems too runny. You may need a little longer for the nuts to help thicken the these dishes though, so keep a close eye on them.
Add the ground nuts to a boiling sauce or gravy. Whip the nuts in using a wire whisk. Stir continuously to help thicken the sauce. The cooking process should take another 1 to 2 minutes. If it's a soup or a stew, use a wooden spoon to stir the nuts through.
Remove from the heat. Serve as intended.
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