Devilled Cashews, Sri Lankan Kaju Thel Dala
Devilled cashews are the standing bar snack of Sri Lankan hotels, set out in a small bowl the way peanuts are elsewhere: toasted whole cashews tossed with curry leaf, chile, and a squeeze of lime. Made without oil, they ask for patience at one step, the slow dry-toast that colors the nut through without burning it, and reward it with a snack that keeps its crunch. Cashews are a splurge and calorie-dense, so this is a treat by the handful, not a bowl to empty. It is coconut-free as written, which is how it is usually made anyway.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Raw cashews
- 1/4 whole Red onions, sliced thin
- 15 leafs Curry leaves
- 1 piece Pandan leaf, 2-inch
- 3/4 tsp pure chile powder
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric
- 1/4 tsp Black peppercorns, cracked
- 2 tsp Lime juice
Method
- Warm a wide dry pan over low heat and add the cashews. Toast them slowly, stirring often, until they are evenly golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Low and slow is the only way to toast a nut all the way through without oil, and rushing it over high heat scorches the outside before the center colors.
- Push the cashews to one side and drop the curry leaves and pandan into the bare pan. Fry them dry until the curry leaves go crisp and translucent, about 1 minute. Crisp curry leaf is half the flavor of this snack, so let them cook.
- Add the sliced onion and cook until it softens in its own moisture, 2 minutes.
- Dust the cashews with the chile powder, turmeric, and cracked pepper and toss everything together for 1 minute, so the spice toasts onto the nuts instead of sitting raw.
- Off the heat, squeeze over the lime and toss once. Spread the cashews out and let them cool completely: they crisp as they cool. Remove the pandan and serve in small handfuls.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 175 calories, 5 g protein, 2 g fiber, 10 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
