GLUTEN-FREE SPICE ROASTED MACADAMIAS
Although the macadamia comes from an Australian endemic tree the creamy yet snappy nut was once a rare commodity. But due to extensive farming, especially in the rolling hills behind Byron Bay, they are now readily available, and aren’t we fortunate?
Put to good use in biscuits, cakes, puddings and so on, they also make a great savoury snack for an instant pick-me-up. And of course they’re delicious with a cool drink at the end of a day.
We use our Iranian Curry Powder, which is a useful blend to have on hand, to spice them up.
For a real homegrown treat why not try this easy recipe for Spice Roasted Macadamias.
Caren
SPICE ROASTED MACADAMIAS
If using our Iranian Curry Powder for the spicing then make the blend before starting with the nuts.
200 gm raw macadamias
2 teaspoons neutral oil
1 scant tablespoon mild curry powder (See our Iranian blend below.)
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes or chilli flakes
30 fresh curry leaves, rinsed and dried
Preheat oven to 180° C. Loosely line an oven tray with baking paper.
Combine the nuts, oil, curry powder, black pepper and sea salt in a large bowl.
Toss and stir to thoroughly coat the nuts.
Tip onto the oven tray and roast for 8 minutes. Stir in the Aleppo pepper and curry leaves then roast for another 2 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool thoroughly on the tray before storing in a sterilized jar in a cool, dry place.
IRANIAN CURRY POWDER
This recipe is adapted from Greg Malouf’s Curry Spice Mix in his book Saraban.
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, toasted in a dry pan
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, toasted in a dry pan
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Grind fennel and fenugreek seeds in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Sieve to remove any fibrous bits. Combine all ingredients and store in a glass jar in a dry, cool place.
TIPS:
The recipes for the nuts and the curry blend are easily scaled up to make larger quantities.
We sometimes use a dark and aromatic curry powder such as a Sri Lankan blend so feel free to experiment with other flavours to coat the nuts.
The Iranian Curry Powder has many uses - one example is to dust a whole fish before roasting. Also, it’s great mixed with some plain yogurt to serve with boiled chat potatoes or to marinate pieces of chicken before barbecuing. So versatile!