Skip to main content

Spiced Roasted Cashews

When I was growing up in Delhi, my mother regularly deep-fried cashews for us in a karhai (wok). She would scoop the nuts up from the hot oil with a slotted spoon and leave them to drain on a crisp sheet of brown paper—the same kind she used to cover our schoolbooks. My father ate them with his evening whisky-and-soda and the rest of us nibbled on them with our soft drinks. I have now taken to roasting the cashews instead. Nothing could be easier.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 1 cup and serves 6¿8 with drinks

Ingredients

1 cup (5 1/2 ounces) raw cashews
1 teaspoon olive or canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 350°F.

    Step 2

    Line a small baking tray with foil and spread the cashews out in a single layer. Dribble the oil over them and toss them well so the oil clings to them like a film. Sprinkle the salt, cumin, and cayenne over them and toss thoroughly again to mix. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 12–15 minutes, tossing and mixing every 4–5 minutes. Leave to cool off and firm up before serving.

Image may contain: Human, Person, Madhur Jaffrey, and Plant
Excerpted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey. Copyright © 2010 by Random House. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Buy the full book from Amazon.
Read More
Hawai‘i's beloved fried chicken is crispy, sweet, and savory.
This speedy dinner features a verdant take on  chili crisp, with scallions, jalapeños, and roasted peanuts for crunch.
Shrimp, fennel, and mushrooms make for an impeccable version of this light and crispy Italian starter.
A slow-simmering, comforting braise delivering healing to both body and soul.
This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.
Juicy peak-season tomatoes make the perfect plant-based swap for aguachile.
Sweet, savory, and way too easy to drink.
We reimagined pork dumplings as a filling for juicy stuffed tomatoes.