Fried Masala Peanuts

Among the favorite goodies that my sister got from India were my mother's batter-fried peanuts. I've eaten them a hundred times but have never made them myself. My mother makes them often, always to include in care packages for family and friends in India and abroad and in response to requests. They are addictive little treats and they showcase an important agricultural product of Southern Maharashtra (peanuts grow in abundance here).

Well, yesterday my parents decided to fry up a batch of peanuts just for themselves, and document the method with pictures so I could post it on my blog. I opened my mail and was delighted to see these step by step pictures. All the pictures you see below are taken by my Dad while my Mom fried the peanuts.

The recipe for these fried peanuts comes from my grandmother, my Dad's mother. The ingredients are straightforward; the trick is in the method of lovingly hand-coating the peanuts with the minimum of water. After frying, this results in a thick but crisp shell of spices around each peanut.

Here are the ingredients: raw peanuts, and then clockwise from the top: a small bowl of water, besan (chickpea flour), coriander powder, cumin powder, asafetida, red chilli powder and salt. All quantities are to taste. But I would suggest not skimping on spices if you are going for the addictive kick.

My mother cautions against using turmeric because it burns while frying, resulting in blackened peanuts with a burnt taste.

Notice the container that the peanuts are spread out in? That's termed a paraat in Marathi. It is like a large mixing bowl but with a flat bottom, and is an essential kitchen item there, for mixing doughs etc.

You start by sprinkling spices into the peanuts.

Next, sprinkle a handful of besan.

Now comes the part where you get right into it: dip your clean hand into the bowl of water and start massaging the spices and flour into the peanuts. Keep repeatedly wetting the hand and doing this to give the peanuts a barely moist coating.

What you end up with is this: you'll have lots of water left in the bowl (it will now be cloudy from flour and spices) and the peanuts will be coated like so.

The peanuts should be a little floury rather than wet.

Now it is time to dunk them in a bath of hot oil. My mother uses her heavy cast iron kadhai for this.

Drain the fried peanuts. Notice that there is a pot of tea being brewed on the top right burner. Tea is the perfect accompaniment for fried peanuts! Also beer. Or lemonade.

Enjoy!

Dale's Tales

Ever since my sister has arrived, Dale gets a kiss every 3 minutes and a hug every 8.5 minutes. She brushes his coat to sparkling perfection every morning, takes him for long walks and is quite smitten by him. Dale seems to be in two minds over all this extra attention. On one hand, he needs his space and hates being smothered. On the other hand, with yet another human fawning all over him, his plan for world domination is right on schedule.

V took these pics of our pretty boy sunning himself on the back porch. Yes, I outsourced all the photography for this post.

Showing off his best side?

See you in a couple of days with a breakfast idea. Enjoy the rest of the weekend!