Indian Snack Mix (Chewda)
There are entire shops dedicated to this snack mix in India, and it's one of our treasured snacks. The last time I was in India, we all walked to a neighborhood pub, ordered a pitcher of beer, and chowed down on a big bowl of Chewda. It usually consists of chickpea flour noodles, flattened flakes of dried rice, peanuts and seasonings. Here's my Americanized version. Careful. Once you start... it's really hard to stop!
- Level: Easy
- Total: 13 min
- Prep: 10 min
- Cook: 3 min
- Yield: 4 cups
Ingredients
2 cups corn cereal (recommended: Corn Flakes)
2 cups puffed rice cereal (recommended: Rice Krispies)
1/4 cup shelled, skinless peanuts
1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 teaspoon brown or black mustard seeds
8 to 10 fresh curry leaves, optional
1/2 green serrano chile, minced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Small handful plantain chips, optional
2 tablespoons golden raisins
Kosher salt
Directions
- In a large wok over medium heat, toast the corn cereal, puffed rice cereal, peanuts, and pepitas until the cereals have crisped up, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan.
- Warm the oil in the same wok over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds (stand back, they'll pop!), curry leaves, green chile, and turmeric. Cook about 30 seconds. Turn the heat off.
- Add the cereal mixture, plantain chips, if using, and raisins. Season with salt. Toss until well combined, and pour into a big bowl. Crack a beer and enjoy!
Cook’s Note
Christina Perozzi from beerforchicks.com pairs this with a Reissdorf Kolsch from Koln (or Cologne), Germany. It's a crisp, dry and light ale. It has a depth of flavor without getting too big like a lager would.
