Masala Peanut from malenadu is the kind of snack you keep near the tea table and finish without noticing. Raw peanuts are coated in a spiced gram flour batter and fried in sunflower oil, the same way it is done in many homes across Karnataka. Crunchy outside, nutty inside and just spicy enough.
What goes into our Masala Peanut
The ingredient list is short and you can read every word of it: raw peanut, sunflower oil, salt, red chilli, cumin, gram flour and ajwain. There are no preservatives and no artificial colours. The red colour you see comes from the chilli itself.
Ajwain and cumin give it a warm, slightly earthy taste. They also make the snack a little easier on the stomach, which is why our grandmothers added them to anything fried. The gram flour coating stays crisp and the peanut inside keeps its bite.
How it is made
The peanuts are cleaned and coated in a thick batter of besan, chilli, salt and spices. They are then fried in small batches so that every peanut gets an even coat and cooks through properly. Once cooled, they are packed straight away to keep the crunch locked in.
Small batch frying takes more time, but it means you do not get a pack full of broken coating and half cooked peanuts. What you get tastes like something made at home, not in a factory.
How to enjoy Masala Peanut
- With evening tea or filter coffee
- As a quick snack while travelling or at work
- Mixed into puffed rice (mandakki) with chopped onion, tomato, coriander and a squeeze of lemon
- As a side with lunch when you want some crunch
- Put out in a bowl when guests come home
A lot of our customers also add a handful to their poha or upma for extra crunch. Try it once and see. Masala peanut also goes well with a cold drink on a hot afternoon.
Pack sizes
This Masala Peanut comes in 100g and 200g packs. The 100g pack is good if you are trying it for the first time. If your family likes spicy snacks, the 200g pack works out better value and lasts a little longer.
Storage tips
Once you open the pack, move the peanuts to an airtight container and keep it away from moisture and heat. That keeps the crunch intact for longer. Please do not keep the open pack near the stove.
Is it very spicy?
Our Masala Peanut has a mild to medium heat. Most adults find it just right. If you have small children at home, give them a few first and see how they like it. For something without chilli, try our Chakkuliwhich is mildly salted and not spicy at all.
Why buy snacks from malenadu
malenadu is a farmer producer company from the Western Ghats of Karnataka. We work with small producers and home based units who still make snacks the traditional way. Our Masala Peanut and other snacks are made in small batches, so what reaches you is fresh and not something that sat in a warehouse for months.
Every purchase supports the farmers and small producers who are part of our collective. There are no middlemen in between, so more of your money goes to the people who actually make the food.
More from malenadu
If you like our masala peanut, try our Ripened Jackfruit Chips or browse all malenadu snacks. Curious about the humble groundnut itself? Here is a good read on peanuts.
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