When looking for a tea time/coffee time snack, these spicy masala peanuts are the best. We can enjoy them guilt free as they are air fried. And the best part is, it just takes under 15 minutes to make a quick batch of these masala peanuts. With Diwali fast approaching, I was looking to make some kind of edible gift to pack for our neighbors and friends. I have made many different candied nuts like thess candied cashews (Nokkal), candied almonds, mixed nut brittle and old fashioned peanut brittle. But I have never made a spicy nut recipe to give out as gift. On our trip back to India, appa had got few packs of spicy peanuts (I think Haldiram brand). Pranesh loved them but they were a little too spicy for him to eat a lot. He still kept eating the crispy peanuts as they were addictive. This gave me an idea to make a batch of them at home. And having an air fryer is a boon. If you are looking for another reason / another recipe to make you invest in one, this crispy masala peanut recipe is the one.
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What are masala peanuts?
Masala peanuts are simple, flour coated peanuts that are either deep fried, baked or air fried. These are crispy peanut snack that are best enjoyed as an evening tea time snack. I also have another masala peanut recipe which is the cooked version. It is more like a Peanut salad / sundal and is commonly found as a beach side snack back in India
Why make this masala peanut recipe?
These crispy air fryer peanuts are vegan, gluten free and quite healthy. They are very inexpensive to make. These crispy peanuts are wonderful as edible gifts for holidays. Peanuts can be made under 15 minutes. Doubling or tripling a batch is very easy to make a large quantity. These air fryer crispy peanuts are so addictive. Kids and adults both enjoy it equally.
Ingredients and substitutes
Check the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact measurements and printable detailed recipes. Peanuts - We will be using raw peanuts with skin for this crispy peanut recipe. I usually buy my raw peanuts from the Indian grocery stores. I also like to buy peanuts that are smaller in size like the Spanish peanuts. Flours - Besan / chick pea flour and rice flour are the two different flours I have used in the masala peanut recipe. Rice flour gives the crispiness for the peanuts. We can swap the rice flour for corn starch (corn flour in India) or use a little of both rice flour and corn starch. Spices - We use turmeric powder, red chili powder (Kashmiri), garam masala, asafetida (skip if making it gluten free), chat masala, amchur powder (dry mango powder). We also need salt. Tips and spice suggestion - The spices used here are completely optional and can be flavored as per your choice. If dry mango powder is not available, use 1 teaspoon of lemon / lime juice. Oil - Use any oil that you would use for deep frying. We will be making the masala peanuts in the air fryer and won’t be using much.
Step by step process
Measure the peanut and place it in a bowl. Wash the peanuts and drain them.
Tip - Washing the peanuts is optional but I find that this yields the most crunchy and evenly roasted masala peanuts. This moisture also helps in not drying out the masala peanuts and the spices and flour seem to stick better when done this way.
Add oil to the wet peanuts and mix.
In another bowl, measure and add both flours. Add all the spice powders to the flour. I have used 1 teaspoon of chili powder, ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon of garam masala, ½ teaspoon of amchur powder (dry mango powder), and ½ teaspoon of chat masala. Also, add salt needed. Chat masala has salt in it, so be careful when adding more salt.
Mix flours and spices well. I find that using my fingers worked better in getting all the spices incorporated well.
Add the drained peanut to the flour mixture and mix to coat. Take time and mix before adding more liquid. We want the peanuts well coated and at the same time not clumpy.
If the peanuts are too dry, add water little by little. I use a spoon and add water and then mix. Also, add a teaspoon or so of oil to help coat (if needed).
Preheat the air fryer at 330 F for couple of minutes.
Add the peanuts to the air fryer basket and spread it in a single row. To get the perfect crispy masala peanuts, it is very important that the peanuts are in a single row and not overcrowded.
Air fry them for about 8 to 10 minutes. Depending on the individual air fryer cooking time will vary. So keep checking the peanuts every 2 minutes or so and shake them up to evenly roast.
If you feel that the peanuts are browning too quickly, reduce the air fryer temperature a little and continue.
The peanuts will still be soft when hot. Once the masala peanuts are evenly brown, turn off the air fryer and let them sit for 2 to 3 minutes.
Serve the peanuts after they cool down or store them for later.
How to store masala peanuts
It is important to keep the peanuts crispy to enjoy them later. So before storing make sure to let the peanuts cool down completely. Then store the peanuts in an air-tight container. I like using Mason jars to store mine.
Serving suggestion
Masala peanuts are great as after school snack or with coffee or tea. My son loves to take a few in his lunch box to snack on between his lunch. It is also his favorite after-school snack along with Homemade Monster drink. I make spicy masala peanuts as edible gifts during holidays. I place them in Mason jars and label the jars and they are ready to gift. Every now and then I like to eat masala peanuts as a side with sambar rice or rasam rice.
Expert tips
Use raw peanuts with skin to make the masala peanuts. Since we are going to be frying (air frying) the peanuts, roasted peanuts will burn. Washing the peanuts has given me the best result in achieving crispy peanuts without making them overly dry. Use spices as you like. I made them medium spicy but make them spicy or milder. Let the peanuts cool down completely before storing them. Otherwise, they will lose their crispness. If for some reason, the peanuts become soft after a couple of days, air fry them for a couple more minutes before serving.
Frequently asked questions
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