Masala Cashews
I don’t know about you, but as plant-based, low-oil eaters, Mountain Man and I are always hunting around for something healthy to snack on, should the mood arise. These little gems are the BEST snacks in town! If you love Indian spices like we do, you must try these. Slightly spicy and gently sweet from the cashews, they’re truly nourishing and will take you to a blissful headspace.
I prefer my spices to be subtle, but if you want more of a kick, go ahead and amp it up with a dose of red chilli pepper powder. The best and freshest that I’ve found is called Everest Kashmirilal and I get it on Amazon here. On to the recipe…
Ingredients
4 cups raw cashews
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cardamom powder (this one ROCKS)
1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt or to taste, or none if you’re salt-free
a few light sprays of cooking oil
Method
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Prepare your spice blend by mixing all spices together.
Spread the cashews in a single layer on a baking tray. Pick out all the small and broken bits if there are any. You want nice, fat, whole cashews.
Bake for about 10-15 minutes. KEEP AN EYE ON THEM! Once they start to toast, they can get overdone very quickly. I push mine around with a spatula about three or four times during the baking just to keep them getting toasted evenly.
Once they are pretty well golden tan, pour them into a mixing bowl.
TURN THE OVEN OFF.
Add just a few sprays of cooking oil to ensure that the spices stick. You don’t have to use it, but it’s really such a minuscule amount that even though we are pretty much oil-free I don’t worry about it.
Sprinkle the spice mix while gently turning the nuts with a soft spatula.
Place the coated nuts back onto the baking tray and pop it back in the now-cooling oven for another 5 minutes.
Add love 💗
Cool and store in an airtight container.
NOTES: If you’ve shopped for raw cashews, you know they can come with a pretty hefty price tag. I get mine from a company called We Got Nuts! and they are much more affordable (and fresher!) than most, especially those at the supermarket or the health food store bulk bins. If you use Subscribe & Save, they’re an even better deal.
Makes 4 cups of blissful snacking. Enjoy!