Masala Peanuts

These masala peanuts are the perfect snack as they are or goes great with kutchi dabeli or a chaat recipe. With simple ingredients commonly found in Indian grocery stores, you can whip up this delicious treat in no time. For a recipe without frying, you can easily use your oven or air fryer. 

​Masala peanuts, also known as masala kadalai, masala groundnut, masala sing or masala moongfali, are a popular street food in India and make for a great snack any time of the day. 

Some recipes use gram flour (chickpea flour) in their recipes but I prefer to keep a simple mixture of basic Indian spices without besan.

Different ways to serve masala peanuts

As a Standalone Snack -Masala peanuts are a fantastic standalone snack option. Whether you're craving a crunchy snack to munch on while watching a movie or tea time snack, a handful of masala peanuts always hits the spot.

In Chaat Recipes - Masala peanuts add a delightful crunch and a burst of flavour to various chaat recipes. Sprinkle them on top of your favourite chaat dishes such as bhel puri to enhance both the texture and taste.

In Dabeli - Dabeli, a popular street food from the state of Gujarat, features a spiced potato filling stuffed inside a pav (Indian bun) and garnished with an array of toppings.

As a Garnish - Use masala peanuts as a garnish for various Indian dishes such as poha, upma, or even curries.

It's perfect for parties, movie nights, or any occasion where you want to offer guests a tasty assortment of snacks. Serve with mango mocktail, watermelon mocktail or non-alcoholic mimosa mocktail.

Ingredients

Raw peanuts - the main ingredient of this recipe, raw peanuts, provide the perfect base for absorbing all the flavors of the spice mix. For ease, you may want to use ready roasted peanuts and skip straight to the peanut masala recipe. 

Spices - a blend of red chilli powder, cumin and coriander powder, garam masala, chaat masala powder, dry mango powder (amchur powder) create the signature flavor of masala peanuts. Adjust the spice level according to your preference.

Caster sugar

Salt - you do not need much as chaat masala contains black salt. 

Oil - use mild or flavourless oil if possible. Peanut or groundnut oil is perfect for this recipe.

Optional: you can add lemon juice or lime juice to give a tangy flavour to the spicy peanuts. 

How to make masala peanuts for dabeli without frying

Dry roast raw peanuts in a pan on low heat until aromatic and you hear the peanuts "pop". 

When they are cool enough to handle, rub off the peanut skin.

Heat oil in a pan and add the red chili powder (I used kashmiri chili powder) and salt. 

Tip in the roasted nuts and mix well. Switch off the heat. 

Add in caster sugar, dhana jeeru powder, amchur, chaat masala and mix well. 

If you feel that the masala has made the nuts too dry and is not sticking to the nuts, add a small spoon of oil and mix well.

Let the nuts cool completely and store them in air tight container. They will stay fresh up to 2 weeks.

Microwave

Place raw peanuts in a microwave proof plate and roast them for 3-4 minutes on HIGH.

Pause every minute and check the nuts. Shuffle them to microwave evenly.

When they well roasted, allow them to cool for 2-3 minutes, then remove the skin.

Add 2 tablespoon oil and all the masala and mix very well.

Once again put nuts in the microwave and roast them for another 30-40 seconds on HIGH.

Air Fryer Masala Peanuts

The air fryer is a handy way to roast peanuts and without having to deep fry them.

Click on the link Mexican Air Fryer Roasted Peanuts below in the Other Nuts Recipe section for the air fryer version. Simply use Indian masalas instead of mexican spices.

Storage

To maintain their crispiness, store the crispy peanuts in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay fresh for up to a week.

Enjoy your crunchy and spicy masala peanuts with a cup of chai or share them with friends and family as a delightful snack.

Whether you're indulging in a chaat recipe or simply craving a spicy snack, these masala peanuts are the perfect accompaniment for any occasion. Whip up a batch of these addictive treats, and watch them disappear in no time.

Other Nuts Recipes

Mexican Air Fryer Roasted Peanuts

Christmas Candid Walnuts

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Note – This recipe was first published in June 2013. This post has since been updated with helpful content and new images. The recipe remains the same.