Masala peanuts is a spicy and super crunchy tea time snack perfect to enjoy with a hot cup of tea or coffee. Crispy masala peanuts recipe is a vegan and gluten-free.
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The air fryer masala peanuts recipe is quick to make with a handful of ingredients. It is as simple and easy as tossing peanuts in a spice mix and roasting them in the air fryer until crispy.
These air fryer masala peanuts are an addictive popular Indian snack that requires a little oil and are way healthier than the store-bought stuff. It is the most favourite snack my family prefers to nibble during entertainment. A bowl of this baked masala peanuts disappears in a blink!
Try this easy no-fry masala peanuts the next time you crave something quick and healthy. It is a perfect snack to have handy to satisfy those hunger pangs at unusual hours, or for mindless munching on game days.
The best part of this savoury peanut treat is that, unlike store-bought snacks, these crunchy peanut masala are free of preservatives and additives.
Crispy masala peanuts are one of the great options for deep-fried snacks. It is also the best way to consume peanuts as they are a rich source of proteins, fibre and healthy fats.
Why you will love air fryer masala peanuts?
No deep frying
Gets ready in less than 15 minutes
A guilt-free snack for mindless munching
Ingredients
- Peanuts: any variety of peanuts works in this recipe.
- Dry Spices: red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, chaat masala powder and salt.
- Flour: rice flour and gram flour.
- Liquid: I have used olive oil but feel free to use any regular cooking oil that you have on hand. A little water to help bind the spice mixture to peanuts.
Find the quantities and a short video in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
How to make masala peanuts?
Wash peanuts in a strainer and shake well to drain the excess water.
Put them in a large bowl, add a teaspoon of oil and stir with a spoon to coat the peanuts.
In a second medium-size bowl, combine the spice powders - chilli powder, chaat masala powder, salt, gram flour and rice flour.
Now transfer the spices to the peanut bowl and toss well. Add water a little at a time, a teaspoon of water at a time and mix with a spoon until the peanuts are well coated.
Apply oil to the air fryer basket or spray it with oil.
Add masala-coated peanuts to the basket and spread them into a single layer.
Put the basket in the air fryer.
Set the air fryer at 180 C for 8 minutes.
Shake the basket gently halfway through for even roasting.
Once the timer goes off, take the basket out of the air fryer.
Crunchy and spicy masala peanuts are ready to enjoy!
Substitutions and Variations
Spicy: Add a couple of finely chopped green chillies or freshly cracked black pepper for an extra kick.
Tangy: Amchur powder (dry mango powder) could be used for the extra tang.
Oil: I use olive oil, but you could use any cooking oil - coconut oil, peanut oil or sunflower oil.
Garlic powder makes a lovely addition.
Colour: Add a little Kashmiri chili powder to get a bright colour.
Spices: This crispy masala peanuts recipe requires just a few basic pantry staples that are available in most Indian grocery stores. Unable to get chaat masala and cumin powder? use whatever masala you have on hand - garam masala, curry powder or just red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt and a dash of lemon juice.
Serving Suggestions
Masala groundnuts are a great snack to enjoy with a cup of masala chai, rose milk tea, hot chocolate or coffee.
Serve it with pumpkin banana smoothie or watermelon juice as a filling after-school snack for kids.
Perfect crunchy snack to pack for a picnic, snack box or road trip.
How to store crunchy masala peanuts?
These healthy masala peanuts could be stored in an air-tight container in a room temperature for up to 1 month. Ensure to secure the lid tightly every time you open it.
More air fryer recipes
Top tips
Add just enough water so that the peanuts coat with masala well. Masala-coated peanuts shouldn't be clustered.
Wet and oiled peanuts help the spice mixture to coat well.
Do not skip rice flour as it helps to get an outer crispy texture to masala peanuts.
Cooking time varies with air fryer models and basket size.
FAQ
The common reason could be not frying long enough or frying at high temperatures for less time. Cooking at high temperatures leads to the outer layer looking overly cooked but actually hasn’t cooked well through.
Air frying at the right temperature and shaking in between are essential for even cooking.
Although masala peanuts stay good for a long time, almost a month if stored in an airtight container, most of the time we end up with way too much to finish before they turn rancid. Isn’t it better to use them creatively instead of tossing them in the bin?
Here is a ways to use up leftover masala peanuts.
1. Use these spicy peanuts in chaats such as dabeli. Use it as crunchy topping on chana chaat and dahi papdi chaat.
2. Turn them into a peanut chaat. Toss them with chopped onions, tomato, cucumber, fresh coriander leaves and a dash of lime juice.
3. Add them to lemon rice, coconut rice at the end. Use these roasted crispy peanuts instead of raw peanuts.
4. Use it up in sweet potato patties instead of plain crushed peanuts.
5. It makes a lovely combination with bisi bele bath.
More Tea Time Snacks
Curry Puffs with Leftover Curry
KEEP IN TOUCH
Do let me know if you make this delicious air fryer crispy masala peanuts recipe. If you like this recipe kindly consider rating it using stars in the comment section or on the recipe card to help more people find this recipe online. You can stay up to date by following me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or subscribing to my Youtube channel. Or why not subscribe to my blog and get simple recipes straight to your inbox?
📖 Recipe Card
Masala Peanuts Recipe (Air Fryer)
Equipment
- 1 Medium size bowl
- 1 Big Bowl
- 1 Spoon
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml
- ½ Cup Peanuts
- 1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
- ¼ Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Garam Masala
- ½ Teaspoon Chaat Masala
- Salt as required
- ½ Tablespoon Rice Flour
- 2 Tablespoons Gram Flour/ Besan
- 3 Teaspoons Water adjust to get right coating.
Instructions
- Wash peanuts in a strainer and shake well to drain the excess water.½ Cup Peanuts
- Put them in a large bowl, add a teaspoon of oil and stir with a spoon to coat the peanuts.1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
- In a second medium-size bowl, combine the spice powders - chilli powder, chaat masala powder, salt, gram flour and rice flour.¼ Teaspoon Turmeric Powder, 1 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder, ½ Teaspoon Garam Masala, ½ Teaspoon Chaat Masala, Salt, ½ Tablespoon Rice Flour, 2 Tablespoons Gram Flour/ Besan
- Now transfer the spices to the peanut bowl and toss well. Add water a little at a time, a teaspoon of water at a time and mix with a spoon until the peanuts are well coated.3 Teaspoons Water
- Apply oil to the air fryer basket or spray it with oil.
- Add masala-coated peanuts to the basket and spread them into a single layer.
- Put the basket in the air fryer.
- Set the air fryer at 180 C for 8 minutes.
- Shake the basket gently halfway through for even roasting.
- Once the timer goes off, take the basket out of the air fryer.
- Crunchy and spicy masala peanuts are ready to enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Welcome to Flavours Treat. I share vegetarian recipes made with wholesome, mostly fresh ingredients. Every recipe has easy-to-follow instructions with process shots (detailed step-wise pictures), a short video and lots of tips to help your cooking journey. Read more
Sharadha
Crunchy tasty and so easy to make. Being healthy is the bonus. This recipe has convinced me to buy an air fryer!
Geetha Priyanka
Absolutely it is healthier than the deep-fried version. Air fryer is definitely worth buying.