These spicy cashews are the perfect accompaniment to a cold beer after a long day or if you are cozying up with a warm cup of chai.This snack is spicy, salty with a hint of sweetness. Inspired by the Southern Indian "mixture", this snack only requires 6 ingredients . So that any anytime you are struck by the urge to have some, you can have it ready in less than 15 minutes.
Inspired by the Southern Indian "mixture"
Growing up, we always had "mixture" as our go to snack. A mixture is just that, a mix of various elements like fried chickpea noodles of various sizes and shapes mixed in with roasted ground nuts(peanuts), curry leaves, fried lentils, puffed rice and various other accoutrements that you use in the mixture. It usually only contains Indian chili powder, turmeric , seasoning and of course hing. This is a go to snack especially while sipping on hot "filter" coffee or chai. If coffee or tea isn't your thing, try it with some cold beer. Don't take my word for it and try for yourself by picking up a pack at your local Indian store. I swear, it will leave you wondering why nobody told you about this before!
Until you are able to do that, I would suggest trying these spicy cashews a try. This is based on variations of the "mixture" where we only use nuts like peanuts, cashews instead of a multitude of ingredients.
What is Hing and why use it?
Hing is the Hindi word for Asafoetida and goes by various other names including hingu, perangaayam in other Indian languages. It is a resin which is extracted from the Ferula plants and is used widely in various parts of Indian cuisines. Since Asafoetida contains a lot of sulfuric compounds, it imparts a pungent, onion like flavor to food.
When one thinks of Indian food, one usually thinks of of cumin, coriander, aamchur, garam masala etc. However hing is a very important spice that we use across the country. It is an integral part of the tempering process which we use in a variety of dishes. It is a flavor that might seem strange or even off putting if you are new to it. I would say be open minded and give it a try or three :). The next time you make dal or a sambar, don't skip the hing!
Making the spicy cashews
This dish will come together in less than 15 minutes as I mentioned before. Keep all below ingredients ready to go
Ingredients
- Ghee / Avocado/ Sunflower Oil
- Cashews
- Chilli powder - I would recommend regular Indian chilli powder but feel free to swap with anything milder you like Sweet Paprika or Cayenne
- Curry Leaves - Remove from the stalk, wash and pat them dry before use. Keep aside a few for topping later.
- Turmeric
- Hing powder - You can find one easily at an Indian grocer or online. I use the LG brand that you can see in the image above in the white can.
- Salt
- A shallow frying pan
Heat the pan to medium low and add the ghee/ oil. Once it has heated up, add the hing and let it sizzle for a few sounds. Now add the chilli powder, turmeric and let it cook in the ghee for 2-3 minutes until no longer raw. Now add the curry leaves less the reserved ones and the cashews.
Slowly keep sautéing to make sure the cashews are mixing well with the spices.Ensure they do not burn.Add salt to taste and continue. You will see the ghee/oil slowly drying up in the pan as it gets absorbed by the cashews. Once this happens and the cashews are lightly browned, keep the cashew mixture aside. Add in the remaining curry leaves in the pan. Saute until slightly crispy and dry. Turn off the heat and top the cashews with these curry leaves. Let the mixture cool down for a few minutes before devouring..umm.. I mean serving(of course!).
How to store the cashews?
You can make this ahead of time and store it in an air tight container. It should store well for 3-5 days at room temperature before it is no longer crispy.I would not suggest refrigerating them. Enjoy!
Flavor combinations
I strongly believe a recipe should be a guide rather than instructions and to encourage creativity. By that I mean, if you want to try out different flavor combinations this is the perfect canvas to try them out. I have listed a few of my favorite ones below for your perusal -
- Salt and Pepper
- Chili and Lime
- Rosemary and Thyme
- Parmesan and Garlic
- Vinegar and Salt
The full recipe for the spicy cashews is listed below. I hope you give it a try and if you do, let me know what you think! Please leave a comment below along with a rating and/or tag me on Instagram using #dillandthyme or Pinterest
If you are looking for more recipes, check these out.
Achari Masala (Northern Indian Pickling Spice)
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Recipe
Spicy Cashews( Masala Cashews)
Equipment
- 1 10" Non-Stick frying pan
Ingredients
- 11/2 cup Raw Cashews whole or halved
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
- 10-15 Curry Leaves washed and pat dried
- 2 pinches Hing/Asafoetida
- 1 teaspoon Indian Chilli Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the frying pan at medium low heat. Once hot, add the ghee and let it melt.
- Now add the hing and wait for it to sizzle. Add the turmeric and chilli powder and mix well. Let it cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add around 10 of the curry leaves and saute for 30 seconds and then add the cashews.
- Saute to ensure the ingredients are mixed well. Keep moving the cashews around to make sure none of them get burnt.
- You will notice the ghee slowly drying up in the pan and the cashews also start browning.Once all of the ghee has been absorbed and the cashews have lightly browned.Keep cashews aside.
- Now add the remaining curry leaves in the same pan at low heat and saute until slightly crisp. Top the cashews with the curry leaves and serve.
Notes
- If you find the Indian chilli powder is too spicy, I would suggest halving the quantity or using cayenne/paprika instead.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The links provided in this post might include affiliate links which earns me a small commission when you purchase using them at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
Keto Queen Recipes
great post - thanks !!
This article is a recipe for spicy cashews, inspired by the Southern Indian snack known as mixture. The recipe only requires six ingredients and can be prepared in less than 15 minutes. The mixture snack typically contains various elements such as fried chickpea noodles, roasted peanuts, curry leaves, fried lentils, puffed rice, and Indian chili powder, turmeric, and salt. The author suggests that these spicy cashews are a perfect accompaniment to a cold beer or a warm cup of chai. The snack is described as being spicy, salty, and slightly sweet. The author mentions that growing up, their go-to snack was mixture, and this recipe is inspired by that childhood favorite. Overall, the article provides a simple and quick recipe for a flavorful snack that can be enjoyed any time of day.
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Keto Queen Recipes
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Suma
Thank you so much for your kind words and for stopping by! I can't wait to check out your recipes:)