MASALA PEANUTS / MASALA KADALAI

INGREDIENTS:

Peanuts                       - 2 cups (without skin)
Besan flour /
Kadalai maavu           - 6 tsp
Rice flour                   - 2 tsp
Baking soda               - a pinch
Red chilli powder       - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder        - 1/4 tsp
Red food color           - 1/4 tsp
Ghee                          - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida                 - a pinch
Salt                            - as needed
Oil                             - for deep frying
Curry leaves              - few for garnishing

To grind:

Fennel seeds / Sombu - 1 tsp
Garlic cloves               - 3

HOW TO MAKE:

Make a coarse paste of fennel seeds and garlic cloves.

In a bowl add peanuts, besan flour, rice flour, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, baking soda, asafoetida, ghee, fennel and garlic paste and salt.  Mix well with hand.  Just sprinkle water and mix it as shown in the pic.

Heat oil in a kadai and take a handful of peanut mixture and sprinkle into the oil.  Do not add more batches at a time.  Fry it till it turn into golden brown.  Drain in on a papper towel and allow to cool down.  At the end just splutter few curry leaves and garnish on the top.

Serve with coffee or tea.  You can make it as a starter for a party too !

Crunchy Masala Peanuts ready to munch.... :-)

TIPS:

Make cashew masala by using the same method.

Do not add more water and loosen the texture.  Add more water will result like peanuts pakoda and the peanuts will stick with one by one.

Adding ghee will retain the crispiness