Garam Masala Peanuts Take Spiced Nuts to the Next Level

Because we wanted an überflavorful snack, we chose an Indian masala—the Hindi word “masala” means “mixture” and refers to any one of a huge variety of spice blends used in many South Asian cuisines—to season our spiced nuts. Blends such as garam masala and chaat masala are tried-and-true combinations that reflect thousands of years of tradition.

Our recipe relies on garam masala (its name means “warm spice blend”) for its complex mix of sweet, peppery, floral, citrusy, and earthy flavors. Garam masala is popular in Northern Indian cuisine and widely available in American supermarkets.

Because ingredients and ratios in garam masala can differ significantly, we compared more than a dozen versions from experts in Indian cooking—including Madhur Jaffrey, Meherwan Irani, and Anita Jaisinghani, author of Masala: Recipes from India, the Land of Spices (2022). We also tasted blends from a range of commercial brands. 

The comparison revealed a core group of spices typical of most garam masalas: cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, cumin, coriander, cloves, and nutmeg. Some also included ingredients such as mace, ginger, bay leaf, turmeric, caraway, and dried chiles. We used what we learned to make our own blend, but store-bought blends work here too.

To make the peanuts, simply toss them with a mixture of sugar, egg white, water, garam masala, and salt (the egg white and water help the spices stick) and then bake them. When they come out, still hot, hit them with a bit more of the spice blend. Once cooled, they’re ready to snack on.

We also created a chaat masala version. Chaat masala—a tangy, salty, tart spice blend—is used to season many street-food snacks (chaat) in Indian cuisine. According to Maneet Chauhan, author of Chaat: Recipes from the Kitchens, Markets, and Railways of India (2020), “this spice blend gets its distinctive pungent and slightly tangy flavor from the black salt (kala namak) that’s added to a combination of amchur (mango powder), ginger, black pepper, hing (asafoetida), coriander, cumin, and chile powder.” In our recipe, chaat masala provides a bright, pleasantly acidic counterpoint to the warm garam masala.