Asked at the counter
Questions & answers
The things people actually ask us, answered properly. No prices — rates move, and a number printed here in September is wrong by November. For a real one, message us.
Rates and paying
What is the kaju rate in Bhopal today?
Cashew is sold by weight and the rate moves through the year, so we quote it on the day rather than printing a number that goes stale. Message us on WhatsApp and we will send you today's rate for the grade you want. Larger, whole kaju costs more than broken; both are useful for different things.
What is the badam price per kg?
Almond price depends on the grade and the size of the kernel, and it shifts with the season and the import cycle. We weigh and quote at the counter, or on WhatsApp if you want to know before you travel. Ask for the rate on the grade you actually want rather than a general figure.
Why are there no prices on this website?
Because dry fruit is a commodity and the rate genuinely moves. A price printed here in September is wrong by November, and a wrong price is worse than no price — you would travel on it. Message us and you get a real rate for the day, for the grade and quantity you want.
What makes the dry fruit rate go up and down?
Mostly the harvest and the import cycle, then festival demand on top. Mewa is bought in season and released through the year, so rates firm up as stock thins. Demand around Diwali and the wedding months lifts them again. That is why we quote on the day rather than holding a printed list.
How can I pay?
At the counter you can pay by cash, card or UPI. For orders arranged over WhatsApp we settle it when you collect or when the order is handed over. We do not take payment through this website — there is no checkout here, and nobody from the shop will ask you for card details over chat.
Do you give a discount on bulk orders?
Quantity changes what we can do on rate, particularly on corporate and wedding orders where the volume is known in advance. There is no fixed slab we can publish, because it depends on the items and the season. Send the list and the quantity on WhatsApp and we will come back with a real number.
Choosing and quality
How do I know if almonds are fresh?
Fresh almonds snap rather than bend, and the broken face is pale and dry, not oily or yellowed. Old stock smells faintly of paint or crayon — that is the oil turning, and once you notice it the taste follows. Buy the quantity you will finish in a couple of months rather than the biggest pack.
What is the difference between whole and broken cashew?
Only the shape. Broken kaju is the same nut, graded down because it split in processing, and it costs less. For gifting or a bowl on the table you want whole. For cooking, gravies, kaju katli or anything ground, broken is the sensible buy and nobody can tell once it is in the dish.
Which dates should I buy?
Medjool are the large, soft, sweet ones people buy for gifting and for eating on their own. Safawi and Mabroom are firmer and drier, better if you dislike a very sticky date. Ajwa are the small dark ones bought mainly for religious occasions. Come and taste before you commit to a kilo.
Salted or plain pista — which should I get?
Salted pista is roasted and seasoned, and it is what most people want for a bowl at a gathering. Plain pista is unsalted and unroasted, which is what you want for cooking, for mithai, for garnishing, or for anyone watching their salt. Both are sold in shell by weight.
Are your dry fruits loose or packed?
Both. Everything at the mewa counter is weighed loose so you can take exactly the quantity you want and see what you are buying. If you would rather have it sealed for a gift or for travel, say so and we will pack it. For hampers it goes in packed by default.
Keeping it well
How should I store dry fruits in Bhopal?
Airtight, away from light, and away from the stove. Humidity is the real enemy here, not age — a tin or a good jar on a high shelf will do more than the fridge for most items. Buy smaller quantities more often rather than a year's worth that slowly goes soft.
Should dry fruits go in the fridge?
Some should. Walnut kernels and pine nuts have a lot of oil and turn quickly, so they genuinely belong in the fridge or freezer. Almonds, cashews and pistachios are fine in an airtight jar in a cool cupboard. Dates keep better cold once opened, especially the soft ones.
How long do dry fruits last?
Months rather than weeks, if they are kept airtight and dry. High-oil items like walnut kernels are the first to go and are best used within a few weeks of opening. If something smells sharp or like paint, that is the oil turning and it will not come back — do not cook with it.
My dry fruits have gone soft in the monsoon. Can I fix them?
Often yes, if they have only picked up moisture and not turned. Spread them on a tray and dry them in a low oven for a few minutes, then cool completely before sealing them away — sealing them warm puts the moisture straight back. If they smell off rather than just soft, throw them.
Cakes
Do you make eggless cakes?
Yes. Most of our cakes are available eggless in both the half-kilo and one-kilo sizes, and eggless is what a large share of orders here actually are. Say eggless when you place the order rather than at collection, because it is baked that way rather than adapted afterwards.
How much notice do you need for a cake?
Standard orders need a 24-hour lead time. If you are closer to the day than that, ask us about rush availability or take one of the ready-made cakes from the counter — there is usually something good in it. Photo cakes, unusual flavours, large sizes and anything with custom decoration are better with more warning than the minimum. Message us with the date and we will tell you honestly whether it can be done.
Can you put a photo on a cake?
Yes, we do photo cakes. Send the picture on WhatsApp when you order — a clear, well-lit image with the faces reasonably large works far better than a group shot cropped down. Give us extra notice for these; they are not something to ask for on the afternoon of the party.
What cake sizes do you do?
Half a kilo and one kilo are the standard sizes across the range, in egg and eggless. A half kilo is right for four to six people, a kilo for eight to twelve, depending on how it is cut. For anything larger or tiered, ask — it needs planning rather than the standard day's notice.
Which cake should I order?
Chocolate truffle and black forest are the two that move fastest and are safe with a mixed group. Butterscotch and pineapple suit people who find chocolate heavy. Rasmalai is the one to pick if you want something that tastes Indian rather than bakery. All are available eggless.
Gifting and hampers
Do you make corporate Diwali gift hampers?
Yes, and it is a large part of what we do in that season. You can take one of the ready baskets or have one built to a budget and a list — dry fruits, chocolate, namkeen and mithai in any combination. Tell us the quantity and the per-hamper budget and we will put options together.
How far ahead should I order Diwali hampers?
Four to six weeks for anything corporate. The constraint is rarely the stock — it is packing time and the fact that everyone in the city wants the same week. Ordering in early October for a November Diwali is comfortable. Ordering in the final ten days limits you to whatever is already made up.
Can I choose what goes in a hamper?
Yes. The builder on our hampers page lets you pick a basket size and fill it from any counter, then send the list to us on WhatsApp. You can also just message the list directly. We will tell you what fits in which basket and quote the whole thing before anything is packed.
Do you deliver hampers to multiple addresses?
For corporate orders this is usually the hardest part, so raise it early. Tell us how many addresses, where they are, and whether they need to arrive on a particular day. Some of it we can arrange and some is better couriered by your own office — we will be straight with you about which.
Do you do wedding and bulk dry fruit orders?
Yes — wedding gifting, return gifts and bulk mewa for the house are all normal orders here. Quantity and notice are what matter. Give us the item list, the rough weight per box and the number of boxes, and tell us the date you need them by, not the date of the function.
Can hampers be packed for someone with dietary restrictions?
Usually yes, within reason. A pure-mewa hamper with no chocolate or mithai is straightforward. Eggless is straightforward on the cake side. Tell us what has to be avoided when you order rather than after, and we will build the list around it and confirm what is in each item.
Mithai and namkeen
Do you make kaju katli?
Yes, kaju katli is made and sold by weight from the mithai counter. It is the item most people ask for at Diwali and for weddings, so at those times it is worth telling us a day ahead if you need a large quantity rather than arriving and hoping.
How long does mithai stay good?
Dry-fruit based mithai like kaju katli keeps for several days in a cool place and longer in the fridge, though it firms up. Anything milk-based should be eaten within a day or two and should not sit out in Bhopal heat. Buy it close to when you plan to serve it.
Is your namkeen fried or roasted?
We keep roasted namkeen and roasted dry fruit as well as the fried lines, and the roasted ones are what to ask for if you want something on the table that is not sitting in oil. Everything at that counter is weighed loose, so you can take a small quantity and try it first.
Chocolate and gourmet
Do you sell imported chocolate in Bhopal?
Yes, we keep a shelf of imported bars and boxes alongside premium Indian chocolate. What is on it changes through the year and moves fastest between Diwali and New Year, so it is worth messaging before you make a trip for something specific. We will tell you what has actually landed.
Imported or Indian chocolate for a gift?
Premium Indian bars fill a hamper as well as imported ones and price very differently, which is usually the deciding factor on a bulk order. Imported reads as more of an occasion for a single gift. For corporate quantities the Indian options usually let you put more in the box for the same budget.
Do you stock coffee, tea and organic items?
We keep gourmet coffee, speciality and loose leaf teas, and a small organic shelf — mostly bought as gifts rather than as groceries. These are the lines that change most with what is available, so treat them as something to check for rather than count on. Message us and we will tell you what is in.
Visiting us
Where is Ahuja Proteins in Bhopal?
We have two shops in Bhopal — one at New Market and one at Chuna Bhatti. Both carry the dry fruit, bakery, chocolate and namkeen counters. The maps on our home page will take you to whichever is nearer. If you want to check something is in stock before travelling, message first.
Which of your two shops should I go to?
Whichever is closer — both carry the full range. If you are coming for something specific, particularly a cake in a certain flavour or a large quantity of one item, message us first and we will tell you which counter has it ready rather than have you make the trip twice.
What are your opening hours?
Both shops are open daily. Hours shift a little around festivals, when we usually run longer, and occasionally for a holiday. Rather than trust a number on a page, check the Google listing for the shop you are heading to, or send us a message — either will be current.
Do you deliver in Bhopal?
Yes. You can order us on Swiggy and Zomato, and those apps will tell you straight away whether they reach your address. For anything the apps do not carry — bulk orders, hampers, a cake made to order — message us on WhatsApp instead.
How do I place an order?
Message us on WhatsApp with what you want and roughly when you need it. There is no cart on this site and no online payment — this is a counter business, and a short conversation settles quantity, grade, packing and timing far better than a form. You can also simply come in.
Can I taste before I buy?
At the counter, yes, and you should — particularly with mixture, namkeen and dates, which are the items people are most particular about. It is the main advantage of buying mewa in person rather than online, and it takes thirty seconds. Just ask whoever is at the counter.
Not answered here?
Just ask us
Rates, stock, notice periods, whether we can do a thing at all — one message is faster than any page we could write.