Made with BIG flavor, these homemade masala cashews are crunchy, salty, spicy, and majorly addictive. Spiced cashews are the perfect savory snack for Diwali, or any special occasion or celebration.
I must warn you.
These homemade masala cashews are so addictive, you won’t be able to stop eating them.
They’re dangerously delicious, sure to be a smash hit, and worst (best?) of all, they’re so easy to make.
I’m not the type to munch on nuts and yet, I refuse to make these spiced cashews unless we have company. Because otherwise, I’ll somehow eat an entire pound of cashews. By myself. In a day. They’re that good.
“I did not heed your warning. I totally forgot my wife doesn’t like cashews so it was the whole pound of cashews vs my willpower. I made them on Saturday and they were gone by Sunday night! So good! My wife saw the empty container and asked if I ate them all already. I told her “Ashley said they were addictive and she wasn’t lying!” You are on a first-name basis in our home! LOL Thank you for yet another delicious recipe.”
James
Made with a flavorful blend of spices like tangy amchur, salty and smoky kala namak, and toasty roasted cumin – these masala-loaded cashews beg to be paired with a tall cold glass of beer or some bubbly soda pop.
Not in the mood for a cold drink? They’re great with Hot Chai too. Somehow the perfect cocktail snack AND the perfect tea time snack.
I highly suggest making these spiced cashews alongside all of the Indian Desserts you might be planning to make this holiday season – this salty treat is a great contrast to sugary sweets.
Masala Cashew Ingredients
You need very few ingredients to make masala cashews. The spices are what make these cashews, so don’t skip or substitute a single spice!
- Cashews: raw, unroasted, and unsalted. You can easily find raw cashews in bulk at your local Indian grocery store for a decent price. I’ve also found raw cashews at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s though they’re more expensive than what you’ll find at your local Indian store. ALDI currently has organic raw cashews and they’re a great deal – not sure how long that’ll last though! You can also find them on amazon.
- Ghee
- Spices: amchur powder, black pepper, fine sea salt, roasted jeera powder, kala namak (black salt), cayenne pepper
How to Make Masala Cashews:
These cashews are so simple to make. Melt ghee in a pan, add cashews and saute for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, and stir the cashews around until they cool down. Then let them sit.
The ghee will solidify as the cashews cool. Then you’ll mix the cashews one more time, and gather any of the ghee and spices from the pan onto the cashews.
The ghee and spices MAKE these masala cashews, so you won’t want to waste even a bit of that delicious flavor.
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Once completely cool, store them in a jar, or glass tupperware until you’re ready to put them out. They can probably last a couple of weeks but we’ve never had them last more than two days – so, good luck with that. 😂
Enjoy – and come back to tell me how much you love them!
Ingredients
- 16 ounces raw cashews unroasted and unsalted
- 3 tablespoons ghee
- 1 ¼ teaspoon freshly ground fine black pepper
- 1 teaspoon amchur powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt I use fine pink himalayan salt
- 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- ¾ teaspoon kala namak (black salt) black salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Add spices to a bowl and mix well (make sure to break up any clumps from the black salt).
- Add ghee to a pan over medium heat. Once it melts, add the raw cashews and mix well. Stir-fry for 4 to 5 minutes or until light golden (not brown) – lower the heat if needed – all stovetops are different.
- Turn off the heat, remove the pan from the heat, then add the spices and mix well for 4-5 minutes to cool the cashews down.
- Let the cashews sit in the pan for 1.5 to 2 hours to fully cool down. Once cool, mix well to make sure the spices at the bottom of the pan coat the cashews well. There shouldn’t be any spices/ghee remaining at the bottom of the pan.
Notes
Poojitha says
Absolutely delicious – I did not add all of the spice just because I like a subtle flavor Super addictive and easy.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Glad you liked it 🙂
Marie says
I loved these nuts and as you say they are addictive. My rule is that I must not make them unless I have guests who will share them.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Marie, haha that is a good rule! I’m glad you like them 🙂
Cathy says
I love this recipe Ashley! Have made them twice, added more spices the 2nd time lol.. so quick and easy to make. I wonder if adding a bit of honey or maple syrup to it would work? Thinking of Sweet & spicy? Worth a try for fun, but either way your original recipe is awesome!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Cathy, so glad to hear that! I bet a bit of sweet would taste great – let me know if you try!
James Walker says
I did not heed your warning. I totally forgot my wife doesn’t like cashews so it was the whole pound of cashews vs my willpower. I made them on Saturday and they were gone by Sunday night! So good!
My wife saw the empty container and asked if I ate them all already. I told her “Ashley said they were addictive and she wasn’t lying!” You are on a first-name basis in our home! LOL Thank you for yet another delicious recipe.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
James, your comment actually made me laugh out loud, haha! I’m so glad you liked them so much! Thanks for letting me know how they turned out for you 🙂
Kumari Pingali says
Looks yummy! I will definitely try it.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Awesome, can’t wait to hear what you think!
tom Mishra says
Looks very yummy. Another idea, to lower the ghee and put the thingy in the air fryer.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Tom, the ghee adds a lot of flavor and also helps the masala stick to the cashews. With an air-fryer, I think the spices would fall to the bottom so you’d lose some of the flavor. If you experiment though, let us know how it goes 🙂
Anu says
Are the spices essentially chaat masala?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Some spices might be the same but the flavor is different/unique – give it a try and let me know what you think! 🙂
Parminder Sahni says
Looks delicious and easy
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thank you! Hope you love them 🙂