Masala peanuts Masala moongphalli

Ingredients

60g (2¼oz) gram flour (besan/chickpea flour)

30g (1oz) rice flour

20g (¾oz) cornflour

1 teaspoon chilli powder

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon garlic salt

250g (9oz) roasted, unsalted peanuts

2 teaspoons sunflower oil, plus extra for shallow-frying

60ml (4 tablespoons) water

Directions

Mix all the flours and spices together in a bowl, then stir in the peanuts.

Add the 2 teaspoons of oil and mix well, then gradually whisk in the water to make a thick gloopy batter that coats the peanuts.

Heat enough oil for shallow-frying in a frying pan. Line a plate with kitchen paper.

Working in a couple of batches, carefully add the coated peanuts to the hot oil, separating them as you go if you can, and cook over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes until golden and crispy. Transfer to the paper-lined plate to absorb the excess oil and cool while you fry the remaining peanuts. They will crisp up more once they have cooled down.

The peanuts will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

These crispy, spicy and delicious peanuts are a very popular snack in India, where you will find them in all corner shops and sweet shops. They are so easy to make at home, and perfect with a cup of tea or a drink. The only problem is that once you start eating them, it’s quite difficult to stop!