Masala peanuts called as tallel nelkadlo (peanuts in konkani ) or Nelkadle bajo is a very addictive snack. Very easy to prepare and even beginners in cooking can attempt this. Also it is always better to prepare such snacks at home as we have control over the ingredients and the oil used. I recently prepared this on Diwali and thought of sharing this with my readers too here

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Kindly do go through the notes too to get a clear understanding before you start with the preparation.

INGREDIENTS :

• 1/4th kg of peanuts
• Salt to taste
• Oil as required for deep frying
• Pinch of hing
• Tbsp or 2 of red chilli powder
• 2 tbsp of rice flour
• 1/4 th cup or a bit less of chickpea flour / besan (adjust accordingly)
• Handful of curry leaves (optional )

METHOD :

1. Wash the peanuts 2-3 times in plenty of water to remove any dust / dirt .
2. Drain thoroughly and transfer to a wide bowl or plate.
3. Add the salt , hing and the chilli powder and toss well so that the peanuts are well coated with the spices.
4. Keep aside for minimum 30 minutes to maximum 1 hour.
5. Add the rice flour and the besan 2 tbsp at a time and keep tossing and mixing it until all the peanuts are well coated with besan.If the mixture feels too dry sprinkle some water .
6. Check for salt and add it now if required and toss again.
7. Heat oil in a kadhai/pan…turn the flame to Medium heat ,.. and drop a handful of the coated peanuts gently into the oil.
8. Once the bubbles in the oil subside a bit , gently toss the peanuts in oil and let it fry for 2-3 minutes more.
9. Once the colour turns to golden remove them and spread on a kitchen towel to drain off the excess oil.
10. Similarly fry all the peanuts in batches .
11. Lastly add the curry leaves in the oil (if using )and fry them too.
12. Add the fried curry leaves on the peanuts and let it cool.
13. Once the deep fried peanuts cool completely … gently give a mix and store them into any airtight container or steel dabba .

The very delicious and addictive peanuts are ready to be enjoyed as a snack with tea / coffee.

NOTES :

1. Check the peanuts for any stone / bad gone peanuts before washing them .
2. Keep the peanuts with spices for a minimum of 30 minutes and not more than 1 hour.
3. I prefer to use minimum spices ..you can add any other spice if you wish to .
4. I prefer to have a very thin coating on the peanuts so I used a bit less than 1/4th cup besan and just a tbsp of water ..if you prefer a thick layer of the coating you can use full 1/4 th cup or a bit more too and use water accordingly as required.
5. Do not add too much water after adding besan ..just sprinkle or use a spoon .
6. The peanuts splash / splutter while getting fried so be careful while deep frying and dropping them in oil.
7. Keeping a thin layer helps the peanuts to not form clusters and it becomes easy to drop them in oil.