Ginger spice mixed nuts recipe
My favorite recipes to share on The Perfect Pantry come from readers. Special thanks for today's fabulous party dish go out to Katrina, who left me a note on Twitter about her recipe for ginger spice mixed nuts (my name for them) flavored with garam masala. The original recipe called for curry powder, but Katrina made it with garam masala, an Indian spice blend that's always in my pantry, and I love the subtle warmth it adds to these nuts. When I buy mixed nuts in the supermarket, they're always incredibly salty, so I started with unsalted mixed nuts (also found in the supermarket), and I added salt to the recipe (if you like your cocktail nuts salty, add an additional quarter teaspoon of salt). Also, I increased the amount of ground ginger, to my own taste. For all the sweetener, the nuts don't taste overly sweet; ginger and garam masala balance the sugar with a slightly peppery bite. My friend Bev, who made this recipe with me, proclaimed these nuts a winner, and she brought them to a party the next night. All gone.
Ginger spice mixed nuts
From the pantry, you'll need: powdered ginger, garam masala, granulated sugar, honey, olive oil.
Makes 2 cups.
[What follows is Katrina's recipe; I've noted my adaptations.] Here's my nut recipe. The original called for curry powder, and I was out. I've made them both ways and I much prefer the ones with garam masala in them. Enjoy!
Ingredients
4 tsp olive oil
1 Tbsp powdered ginger (original calls for 1 tsp)
1 tsp garam masala
4 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp kosher salt (original calls for no salt)
2 cups unsalted mixed nuts (11.5 oz can)
Directions
Line a large platter or baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper, and set aside.
In a skillet (I used a nonstick pan), heat oil, ginger and garam masala over low heat until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Stir in sugar, honey and salt, and mix well. Stir in nuts, and toss to coat.
Raise heat to low-medium, and cook until the sauce begins to caramelize, 2-5 minutes. If you have a light colored pan, the sauce should be amber; if it's a dark pan, you can't see easily, so go by consistency. You're aiming for an almost peanut brittle consistency.
Spread the nuts on the parchment to cool. They taste best after they've cooled, so you have to be patient. You'll be disappointed if you try them too soon. Good luck with this step!
More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Chocolate and hazelnut dipped strawberries
Muhammara
Apples with Nutella and walnuts
Classic pecan pie
Maple nut cookies
Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Spiced pecans, from Ezra Pound Cake
Crispy roasted chick peas (garbanzo beans) with Moroccan spices, from Kalyn's Kitchen
Roasted peanuts with garlic and ginger, from White on Rice Couple
Sweet and salty spiced nuts, from Food52
Indian spiced nuts, from 28 Cooks
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I love spiced nuts, they are my favorite snacking foods, especially near the holidays!
Very nice! Must make this recipe for whatever social event comes up next. ;-) Thanks, Katrina and Lydia!
Never made any type of spiced nuts like this, but they sound delicious!
oooooh! This makes me so excited fall is coming. These look oh-so-tasty!!
Pam, you'll love this version, which is just a bit different and really tasty.
Shirley, I love readers who send me recipes, especially when they're as good as this one.
Kalyn, might be good for some of those big family gatherings.
Chris, perfect for football weather!
Ohhhh now if I was martha stewart I would make these, package them up all cute and give them out at the holidays. But I am not so I will make these and bring them to work so I can have them for an afternoon snack!! YUM!
(but I might just share a bowl when come over the house!)
This sounds delicious! I'm a huge ginger fan, and I love garam masala. You know your readers too well - you didn't just say, "Wait until cool," you warned us that we would be disappointed if we didn't! Love it!
I love the sound of this!! You KNOW I'm going to try it!
Carol, Martha would be proud! But, really, better to make them for your own friends, I think.
Judy, I can't take credit for the admonition -- I think Katrina knows all of us too well, for it was she who warned against tasting too soon. I did exercise all the patience I could muster.
Paz, I hope you do. You'll love this.
I've only ever made the Union Square/Nigella spiced nuts recipe, and it's crazy addictive. I'm definitely going to make these... and then eat the entire batch in the next two days, most likely.
I accidentally made something similar! I had meant to grab a chili powder and grabbed an Indian spice mix instead (heavier on tumeric). We all had yellow fingers but the results were delicious..
Hannah, I won't tell anyone if you do!
EB, you've got to love those happy accidents. One of my favorite fried rice recipes came about because I reached for a container of mango juice instead of chicken stock in my fridge.
I just made some nuts with some cayenne pepper, cumin, and maple syrup that were outrageously delicious! I can't wait to try these because I love garam masala as well!
This is something to pass up dinner for on a Friday night on the couch with a couple of good movies :). And beer!
The combination of spices with sweetness sounds like the perfect match! Would love a bowl to snack on.