Vij’s Spiced, Roasted Almonds make a great snack or appetizer with drinks. The spice blend makes them irresistible. The recipe is another winner from Vikram Vij’s and Meeru Dhalwala’s Vij’s: Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine.

The recipe suggests using almonds or cashews; I chose to use almonds. You can substitute ground cumin for the garam masala. It will still be good, but it will have a different flavor.

I don’t know of a substitute for the mango powder (amchur). Mango powder is used to give a bit of a sour, fruity flavor without giving moisture to Indian dishes. It can be found at Indian groceries. I ordered mine online from indianblend.com. I think it’s worth seeking out, but you could omit it, if you must.

Once you have the ingredients, the recipe is very quick and easy. It takes about 15 minutes to make it.

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Edit 8/29/12:   Bob, who actually does like things quite hot, thought the almonds were too spicy with 1½ teaspoons cayenne. They were pretty hot.  I just made them again with ½ teaspoon cayenne and I think they are better with less heat.

Edit 4/11/2018: I made Roasted Cashews using 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, which seems just right! 🙂

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Vij’s Spiced, Roasted Almonds (or Cashews)

(Adapted from a recipe in Vij’s: Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine)

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I have made this with almonds and with cashews. They’re both great, but I think I prefer the cashews.

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(print the recipe)

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1 lb whole raw almonds or cashews

2 Tbsp canola, light olive oil, or coconut oil (I used coconut)

1 Tbsp salt

1½ teaspoons mango powder (amchur)

1 Tbsp garam masala or ground cumin (I used garam masala)

1 ½  1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

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1. Preheat the oven to 375˚.

2. Combine the salt, mango powder, garam masala, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.

3. If using coconut oil, heat it briefly in the microwave or on the stovetop until it is liquefied.

4. Toss the almonds with the oil in a medium bowl until they are well coated.

5. Toss the almonds with the spice mixture.

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6. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes (4 minutes for cashews).

7. Stir the nuts and bake an additional 5 minutes (another 4 minutes for cashews).

8. Watch the nuts carefully; you want them to get slightly darker, but you don’t want them to brown.

9. Cool the nuts for at least 45 minutes before eating.

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