Salted Peanut Recipe: Make Crispy Snacks at Home Like in Stores

In honor of the sacred festival of Shri Krishna Janmashtami, people prepare various delicious treats to worship Lord Bal Gopal. This year, the colorful sweet Matka Mithai has become very popular on social media and the internet. The main feature of this sweet is that its preparation does not require the use of a stove at all.

This sweet is shaped like small, colorful clay pots, which is how it got the name Matka Mithai. This sweet looks not only very attractive and beautiful but also has a creamy and delightful texture when eaten. If you want to quickly and without hassle prepare a sacred offering for Kanhaji for the celebration of Janmashtami, be sure to try this viral sweet that does not need to be cooked over fire. A simple instruction for its preparation is provided below.

The following ingredients are needed for preparation: makhan flour — 1 cup (makhan must be ground in a blender); coconut flakes — ½ cup; ground sugar or powder — ½ cup (to taste); milk powder — 4-5 tablespoons (to give the flavor of mawa); cardamom powder — ½ teaspoon; cold milk or cream — 4-5 tablespoons (for kneading the dough); pink, yellow, or brown food coloring — for the pot's color and decoration (optional, green or any other color can be chosen); if food coloring is unavailable, Ruhafza can be used for pink color; butter, mishri, or cashew-almond — to give the appearance of oil on the pot.

First, prepare the mixture: in a large bowl, thoroughly mix the makhan flour, coconut flakes, ground sugar, milk powder, and cardamom powder. Then knead the dough: gradually add a little cold milk or cream to this dry mixture and knead by hand until a soft dough resembling modeling dough is obtained. It is important to use very little milk so that the mixture does not become wet.

Coloring (Pot Shape): Divide the dough into two parts. Add a little pink, yellow, or light brown food coloring to the larger part; you can change the color as you wish. Leave the smaller part white. Now take the colored dough and form small balls from it. Gently shape them into a round form, press slightly on top, and flatten at the bottom to achieve the beautiful look of an earthen pot. Make a small indentation with your finger on the top of the pot.

Filling with Oil: Take a small ball of white dough (or use real white ghee/mishri) and place it in the indentation on the pot to create the impression that oil is flowing out of the pot. Decoration: Finish the decoration by attaching thinly sliced pistachios, almonds, or saffron threads. Your beautiful Matka Mithai sweet is ready without using a stove.

Dishes like chhole bhature, chhole with rice, or spicy chickpea curries are always very tasty, but achieving restaurant-quality flavor in homemade vegetable dishes can be difficult. The reason is that the taste of chhole largely depends on the spices used, but market chhole masala can be prepared at home in just a few minutes.

Freshly prepared chhole masala powder enhances both the taste and aroma of the dish. It is important to note that most of the spices needed for its preparation can be easily found in your kitchen. Below is a simple recipe for making chhole masala powder at home.

When cooking a dish using approximately 250–300 grams of cooked chhole, you can add 1–2 teaspoons of homemade chhole masala powder. The amount can be adjusted according to the desired taste. This spice is suitable for use in chhole, chana masala, and various spicy chickpea curries. Homemade powder is not only aromatic but also allows you to customize the spice flavor to your own preference.

As the holy month of Sawan draws to a close, a recipe for a light, crunchy, and aromatic mix of peanuts and sabudana is suggested. This mix can be quickly prepared to celebrate the last Monday of Sawan. This snack does not require oil or spices, unlike commercial options that may contain excess fat, heavy seasonings, and impurities, which can cause digestive issues when eaten on an empty stomach.

The combination of roasted peanuts, puffed sabudana, and rock salt is ideal for enjoying with strong tea in the evening. Below is a simple instruction for preparing this dish.

To prepare, you will need: 1 cup of large sabudana (nylon/popping sabudana), 1 cup of raw peanuts, 1/2 cup of makhana (dried pumpkin seeds), 2 finely chopped green chilies, 8-10 curry leaves (optional), 1/2 teaspoon of rock salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground roasted cumin.

Start by heating a thick-bottomed pan without adding oil. Pour in the large sabudana and stir constantly over medium heat until the sabudana becomes crunchy and light, similar to popcorn. Transfer the cooked sabudana to a plate.

In the same pan, roast the raw peanuts over low or medium heat for 5-7 minutes until their shells begin to crack. Cool the roasted peanuts and lightly remove the shells.

Add the makhana to the pan and dry them over the heat for 3-4 minutes until they become crunchy, then gently crush them by hand.

Now, heat only 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable oil in the pan (so the spices adhere better). Sauté the cumin, finely chopped green chilies, and curry leaves for 30 seconds.

Next, add the roasted sabudana, peanuts, and makhana to the pan, and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle with rock salt to taste and, if desired, a small amount of ground black pepper. Heat everything together for one minute, then turn off the heat.

Allow the mixture to cool completely. The resulting crunchy, low-fat mix of peanuts and sabudana is ready. It should be served with tea on Sawan Monday, and the remaining mixture can be stored in an airtight container for up to 15 days.