Roasted spiced nuts with lime leaf and chilli

Name: Roasted spiced nuts with lime leaf and chilli
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 250g
Cuisine: Modern Australian,Asian
Ingredients: 20g unsalted butter, melted; 30g soft brown sugar; 1 tsp light soy sauce; 1 tsp fresh lime juice; 1 tsp ground cumin; ¼ tsp ground turmeric; ¼ tsp hot paprika (or tsp cayenne pepper); ¾ tsp flaky sea salt; 1 fresh lemongrass stalk, white part only, thinly sliced; 3 large makrut lime leaves, central rib removed, then snipped into fine slivers with scissors; 1 long red chilli, thinly sliced; 150g large mixed nuts (cashews, pecans, almonds, walnuts, macadamias); 100g small nuts and seeds (peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds); 30g coconut flakes

Helen Goh

December 6, 2024

This sweet, savoury, spicy, rich and crunchy nut mix is a perfect party snack.William Meppem

easyTime:< 30 minsMakes:250g

The variety of nuts and seeds, together with fresh and dried spices, makes this a wonderfully flavourful combo. Sweet, savoury, spicy, rich and crunchy, it’s perfect as a party snack paired with drinks, or you can scale up the recipe to make batches for gifting (they’ll last for about five days).

Ingredients

20g unsalted butter, melted
30g soft brown sugar
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp hot paprika (or tsp cayenne pepper)
¾ tsp flaky sea salt
1 fresh lemongrass stalk, white part only, thinly sliced
3 large makrut lime leaves, central rib removed, then snipped into fine slivers with scissors
1 long red chilli, thinly sliced
150g large mixed nuts (cashews, pecans, almonds, walnuts, macadamias)
100g small nuts and seeds (peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds)
30g coconut flakes

Method

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 165C fan-forced (185C conventional) and line a large oven tray with baking paper.
Step 2
Place the melted butter, brown sugar, soy sauce and lime juice in a large mixing bowl and whisk to partially dissolve the sugar. Add the cumin, turmeric, paprika (or cayenne), salt, lemongrass, lime leaves and chilli. Mix to combine, then add the nuts and seeds. Using clean hands, toss the mixture and rub in the buttery spices. You could also use a large spoon, but hands are much more efficient here for even distribution and to break up any clumps of sugar or spice.
Step 3
Spread the mix evenly on the prepared oven tray and place in the preheated oven to roast. After 10 minutes, remove the tray from the oven and add the coconut flakes, stirring and mixing them through with a large spoon to combine. Return the tray to the oven and roast for another 5-6 minutes until the nuts and coconut are golden-brown.
Step 4
Remove the tray from the oven and set aside to cool. Gently stir and toss the nuts until they’re completely cool, then transfer to serving bowls or glass jars to store.

Tip: If the humidity starts to get to them, refresh in the oven for five minutes at 170C.