Green Masala Peanuts(Microwave Method)

Masala Peanuts is the king of 'Namkeen', a favourite time pass dry fried savoury snack for Indians. We find them in many varieties in stores. Now a days, leading packed snacks manufacturers like Haldiram's and Maiyas market them even in 5 or 10 Rupee sachets. Masala Peanuts used to be my favourite when I watched movies in local cinema halls during our younger times. Vendors used to come with a tray loaded with masala peanuts packed in paper cones, chaklis and crunchy popped rice laddus, shouting "Unde chakkuli masaale kadle....!" Later they started packing them in plastic sachets, load them into tin boxes, stand outside the gate of cinema halls at interval, and sell them for 25 Paise each. I used to buy at least 3-4 such packets for myself in the late Seventies!

Masala peanuts also make a good snack with cool drinks, beer and cocktail. Any bar would be stocked with masala peanuts round the year. We find mostly the red or brown coated ones at most of the places, but my memory dates back to the period 1979-85, when I was working in Chamarajanagar for two years staying at Mysore, and then at Bangalore. There I used to buy green masala coated ones which were very dry, a thin film of green masala clinging to them and they used to be very crunchy and full of flavour. Those were rustic style masala peanuts which one can find in old Bengaluru areas Avenue Road and KR Market. I never found them anywhere after I came down to my home town Mangalore and settled down in 1985.

I wanted to eat such green masala peanuts but those whom I asked didn't know where they are sold. Going to old Bangalore side is difficult for them. I too forgot to look out for them during my later visits. However, the other day I had made excess green chilli paste, and thought I can try making green masala peanuts at home. I didn't want to deep fry them because I had never tried making masala nuts in the microwave so far. Around year 2008 when I first started being active on social networking site Orkut sharing recipes, someone suggested the microwave method of making masala nuts. I also browsed through the net to find many recipes. I however could not find the recipe for green masala nuts. That didn't worry me, as I can formulate many dishes confidently by now!

Here is the end result which looks not quite like the ones I ate in Mysore, Chamarajanagar or Bangalore, but they taste very good. Maybe my next attempt will be to deep fry them and see if they turn out exactly like the ones I ate those days. The peanuts they use are longish, but we get the roundish ones here. They both have difference in the thickness of outer skin. That in turn makes a difference in masala coating. However, something is better than nothing, and I am sharing this lovely recipe with you all.

Ingredients:
Peanuts with skin - 200 Gms
Green Chilli Paste - 2 Tsp
Salt - 1/2 Tsp(Or to taste)
Gram Flour - 1 Tbsp
Rice Flour - 1/2 Tbsp
Cumin Powder - 1/52 Tsp
Coriander Powder - 1/2 Tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 Tsp
Chaat Masala - 1/2 Tsp(Optional)
Refined Oil - 2 Tsp

Method:
Mix all the ingredients together, dry powders first and green chilli paste last.
Sprinkle little water while mixing if you want, and allow the masala to coat the peanuts properly.
The coating should be sticky but not watery.
Spread the coated nuts in a microwave proof plate or bowl.
Microwave at reheating mode for 1 minute.
Take out the bowl and allow to cool down for 5 minutes.
Don't worry about the plain white ones without skin or coating sticking to them, you can pop them into your mouth each time, as you wait patiently for them to cool down.
Return the bowl into the microwave and run for 1 minute.
Repeat the process until the nuts start to crackle.
The whole process should be complete in 5-6 microwave heating cycles.
Microwave for the last time for 1 more minute if you want them slightly toasted.
Spread on a paper or platter, allow to cool down completely.
Separate any nuts sticking to one another and store them in an air tight jar.