Masala Peanuts (Spicy Roasted Peanuts)

Masala Peanuts are spiced Indian style roasted peanuts that are coated with spices, herbs and flour. These are a popular snack made in the South Indian households, bakeries and are also sold on the street carts. Peanuts are called as groundnuts in India and so these are more commonly known as masala groundnuts.

Like pakora, this crunchy Masala Peanuts is also made with gram flour which brings in a unique nutty aroma. Traditionally these are deep fried but I have shown the baked version here. You can also air fry them. Though there is a huge difference in the flavor, my family is alright with this healthier version.

I am sharing my Mom’s recipe in this post and she always made the fried version as it was the most common method. The traditional recipe does not use a lot of spices. Gram flour, ginger, garlic, red chili powder, curry leaves and ajwain (carom seeds) are the common ingredients used. I haven’t made any changes to that recipe as it is kids’ friendly.

But I have used chaat masala and a little garam masala because this is a baked version. I have felt without these they would rather taste bland. You can easily adjust the quantity of spices and herbs to your taste. If you are expecting traditional flavors, I highly recommend deep frying.

What you need

Rice Flour: Apart from gram flour, rice flour is used for a great crust. There is no tried and tested substitute but corn starch and all-purpose flour will yield similar results but the flavor won’t be the same. Yellow corn flour and wheat flour are other substitutes.

Garam masala: I use my homemade spice blend which is kind of fresh so I don’t use a lot. If using store bought garam masala you may use more for added flavor. But the traditional version does not use any garam masala and you really don’t need it for the fried version.

Curry leaves: Since I always have fresh curry leaves in my kitchen I use them but you may omit them.

Ginger garlic paste: You don’t want to bite in the ginger and garlic chunks or gratings so paste is best here. However very fine grated should work

Amchur or chaat masala is used for a tang. Feel free to omit that.

Photo Guide

How to make Masala Peanuts (Stepwise Photos)

1. Preheat the oven the 180 C or 360 F for about 10 minutes. Prepare a tray with parchment paper or foil.  Grease the tray first and then place the parchment paper. If deep frying, add oil to a pan and heat it on a medium flame.

2.Measure all the ingredients – gram flour flour, rice flour, garam masala, chaat masala, turmeric, chili powder, hing, curry leaves, ajwain and salt. Keep these aside.

3. Clean and rinse peanuts briefly under running water. Drain off the water completely.

4. Coat the peanuts with ginger garlic, red chilli powder, chaat masala, garam masala, ajwain, turmeric and salt. Mix all of these with the peanuts. Then mix the peanuts with the flour. The mixture will be dry, pour 1 tablespoon water to your hand and sprinkle it all over the peanuts.

5. Mix gently to coat the peanuts well. Do not add a lot of water and do not overmix as the dough becomes sticky, clump up together and comes off the peanuts. If you feel there is not enough dough over your peanuts you can add 1 tablespoon more of besan and half tablespoon more of rice flour and gently mix.

6. If baking add one tbsp. oil and smear all over the peanuts gently. Any edible oil can be used including Coconut oil. If deep frying skip oil here. Spread the masala coated peanuts on the baking tray and bake for 10 to 12 mins at 180 C or 360 F. After that, gently mix them and check. If needed bake them longer until crunchy.

7. If deep frying, gently separate the clumped up peanuts and drop them gently to the hot oil. Fry them on a medium heat until golden and crunchy. Masala peanuts are ready. Cool them completely and store in an airtight glass jar.

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