Masala Peanuts - Spiced Peanut Snack

Masala Peanuts- Spiced Peanut snack - Spicy Groundnuts

Masala peanuts are the ever popular Indian snack made with peanuts and coated with a spicy chickpea flour batter. It is a zesty, crunchy snack, deep-fried to crispy golden. I love the simplicity of these old fashioned snack recipes. Many of these get overlooked for fancier ones in bakeries, but there are times you crave for something simple, crispy and spicy. This delightful vegan snack is a perfect combination of heat and spice. It tastes just like the store brought ones and you will be surprised how easy it is to make them at home. It is a versatile recipe for snacking at home or as a party treat or as a cocktail snack.

I love making these peanuts in big batches and just keeping them handy. But trust me they will be gone before you realize. It is so addictive! Back home my mom stocks up on these types of goodies almost whenever we have guests at home. Masala peanuts invoke nostalgic memories of childhood. Back then Sunday evenings were movie time and snacking while watching movies was like a ritual in my family, which I still follow to this day. Dad buys goodies from the bakery in the corner street or mom whips up some quick snacks like magic, and it is movie time! Masala peanuts were always my favorite and with hot piping tea, it is delicious.

This recipe has some regional flavors added to it. It is inspired by the Kerala bakery-style peanut fry. Coconut oil and curry leaves, crushed garlic add lots of flavor to these crunchy snacks. Added to this is the sweet flavor of fennel seeds. If you like you can add chaat masala or garam masala for an extra kick. What you add to it is totally up to you. It will taste really good! Give this recipe a try, you will surely love it.

The ingredients to make crispy masala peanuts

To make masala peanuts you do not need to roast the peanuts, you can use raw peanuts. Add raw peanuts to the batter, mix and fry in medium heat.

The flour used in this recipe is chickpeas flour and rice flour. Rice flour adds crispiness to the batter. The batter has to be thick and almost crumble like to get the crispy crunchy texture that everyone likes.

Add chilly powder according to your spice preference. An important ingredient in this recipe is asafetida/hing. It has a unique pungent flavor and when fried in oil it can elevate the flavor of any dish. Well, a little goes a long way! So just a pinch!

Fennel seeds are another spice that has a sweet aroma. Slightly crush the fennel to enable it to release its flavor while frying. Alternatively, you can use cumin or garam masala powder. Crushed garlic and curry leaves are added while frying to enhance the flavor.

Also, add a pinch of baking soda and a teaspoon of sugar to give a balanced taste.

How to make Masala Peanuts

Cooking time- 20 minutes
Recipe type- snack
Cuisine- Indian

Ingredients
Peanuts- 2 cups
Gram Flour/Besan- 1 cup
Rice flour- 3 tbs
Baking soda- a pinch
Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tsp
Garlic crushed- 2-3 pods (optional)
Fennel Seeds- 1/2 tsp
Cumin- a pinch
Turmeric powder-1/3 tsp
Kashmiri Chilly powder- 2 tsp
(or according to your spice tolerance)
Asafotida/hing- a pinch
Curry Leaves- a few
Salt to taste
Sugar- 1 tsp
Coconut oil for frying- 2 1/2 cup

In a bowl mix besan/gram flour, rice flour, baking soda, turmeric, chilly powder, hing, and salt. Add peanuts, crushed fennel seeds, cumin, crushed garlic, and curry leaves. Drizzle a teaspoon of oil and mix everything.
Sprinkle water little by little( Not more than 1/4 cup of water) and mix well till the flour attains almost crumble like texture. It should not be watery, but a sticky dough able to stick to the peanuts and holds shape when it is dropped into the hot oil.
Heat oil in a pan to medium heat. Drop small portions and try to make sure it does not clump together. Do not overcrowd the pan, and fry in batches. When one side turns golden brown then using a slotted spatula turn and cook on the other side for another two minutes. Remove from the oil using spatula and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining batter. Keep oil temperature medium and fry in batches. Serve with tea. When it is completely cool, store in an airtight container.