In this guide
Quick answer
In Bangalore you can buy dry fruits two good ways: loose from the old-city bazaars, where you can taste before you pay, or packed and weighed to order online, which reach Bangalore from us in 3–5 days. Whichever you choose, check freshness first, because Bangalore’s mild but damp air is harder on nuts than most people expect.
We send a steady stream of parcels to Bangalore, and the questions that come back are nearly always about two things: how to tell a fresh lot, and why a jar of kaju that was crisp in March has gone soft by September.
Old bazaar or ordering online
The older bazaars in the city centre still sell dry fruit loose, from open tins and sacks. The best thing about buying there is that you can pick up a cashew, bite it, and walk away if it bends.
The weak point is the open sack. It sits in the air all day, and in Bangalore that air is often humid. A lot that sells quickly stays fine. A lot that sits for weeks does not, and you cannot see how long it has been there.
Ordering online turns that around. You cannot taste first, but the pack is sealed, and at our counter in Rajasthan everything is weighed when you order rather than months before. The sensible way to start is small: order 250 g of two or three things, check them against the list below, then buy bigger.
| What matters | Loose from a bazaar | Packed, ordered online |
|---|---|---|
| Tasting before buying | Yes | No, so start with a small pack |
| Exposure to damp air | Depends on how fast the sack sells | Sealed until you open it |
| Choice of grades | Whatever that shop has that day | Every grade listed with pack sizes |
| Time and traffic | A trip into the old city | Delivered in 3–5 days |
What to check before you pay
- Kaju should snap, not bend. A cashew that flexes has already taken on moisture.
- Badam should be evenly brown, with little dust at the bottom of the bag and no holes in the skin.
- Kishmish should come apart easily. A solid clump, or a sour smell, means it has been sitting in damp air.
- Akhrot should be light inside and smell of almost nothing. A smell like old oil or paint means the fat has gone rancid.
- Dates should be glossy, not sticky, and should not smell sour or of alcohol.
Cashews in Karnataka: know what the grade means
Coastal Karnataka, around Mangaluru, has long been known for cashew processing, so plenty of Bangalore families grew up with godambi in the house and have strong opinions about it. The words on the label still confuse people. Whole kernels are graded by size, and broken ones are the same nut in pieces, for a lower price.
If the cashew is going into a kesari bath or a payasa, where it is fried in ghee and stirred in, broken pieces do the job. If it is going into a bowl for guests, buy whole ones such as Jumbo Cashew. Our guide to what the kaju grades actually mean goes through each one.
For almonds, most homes use Regular Badam for soaking every day. Mamra Badam costs a good deal more and is worth it only if you prefer its taste. The whole range is on our nuts shelf.
Bangalore’s weather and how to store dry fruits
Bangalore sits high up, so it rarely gets fiercely hot, and people assume that makes storage easy. The heat is not the trouble. The damp is. The air stays moist for much of the year, and the wettest stretch usually runs through the late monsoon, roughly August to October.
Nuts are mostly fat with very little water. When they soak up moisture from the air they go soft first, then stale, and in walnuts and pista the fat turns rancid sooner. A few habits keep them right:
- Use airtight glass or steel jars, not the plastic tub a sweet box came in.
- Keep a small jar for daily use and leave the big stock closed. Every opening lets damp air in.
- In the wet months, keep walnuts, pista and seeds in the fridge, in a closed jar. Kaju and badam are fine at room temperature for a few weeks if the jar is truly airtight.
- Let a cold jar reach room temperature before opening it, or water forms on the nuts inside.
- Keep jars away from the stove and the pressure cooker. Steam does more harm than the weather.
If kaju has gone slightly soft, dry-roast it on a low flame for a few minutes and let it cool. If it smells sharp or soapy, it has gone rancid, and roasting will not bring it back.
Delivery to Bangalore, and what it costs
Orders reach Bangalore in 3–5 days. Delivery is free on orders over ₹1,000. Below that, a delivery charge is added at checkout. Payment is online.
For a rough idea, kaju was running at around at today's shop rate a kilo depending on grade, and regular badam at around at today's shop rate. Rates move, so check today’s dry fruit prices in Bangalore before you order.
Questions people ask
What are dry fruits called in Kannada?
Cashew is godambi, almond is badami, raisins are ona drakshi, dates are kharjura and dried figs are anjura. Most shops in Bangalore also understand the Hindi names.
How long do dry fruits take to reach Bangalore?
Our orders usually arrive in 3–5 days. Order before you run out, especially before Ugadi or Dasara, when most homes cook more.
Should I keep dry fruits in the fridge in Bangalore?
Walnuts, pista and seeds, yes, especially in the wet months. Kaju, badam and kishmish keep well at room temperature for a few weeks in a truly airtight jar.
Is loose or packed better?
Neither is better by default. Loose is good when the shop sells through its stock quickly, and packed is good when it is sealed and recently weighed. Freshness is what counts.
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Written at our counter, where these questions get asked every week.
