These Sweet & Spicy Roasted Cashews Chaat Bites are crunchy, colorful, and full of flavor. This roasted cashew chaat is perfect when served as a snack or appetizer.
Made using sweet, spicy, and crunchy pan roasted cashews, it combines all the essence of a chaat. It has crunchy veggies, juicy pomegranate arils, tamarind chutney, mint coriander chutney, and some basic spices.
Uncommon spices can add depth and intrigue to your dishes, making them more memorable.
The sweet and spicy roasted cashews are the star ingredient of this chaat recipe, that makes it an ultimate Diwali snack or festive appetizer which would definitely impress your guests.
Whether you are hosting a party or gifting something homemade, these roasted crunchy cashew bites are a total crowd-pleaser!
About Sweet & Spicy Roasted Cashews Chaat
Sweet And Spicy Roasted Cashew Chaat is an easy to make appetizer or vegetarian snack recipe that is super tempting, flavorful and delicious. It looks fancy but gets done in under 10 minutes.
These Sweet & Spicy Roasted Cashews Chaat Bites are everything you want in a snack. They are colorful, flavorful, and irresistibly crunchy. Plus, they are quick to prepare, fun to serve, and guaranteed to add a glow up to your festive menu.
These chaat bites mingle the nutty crunch of roasted cashews with the tangy, vibrant flavors of Indian chaat, that gives it an irresistibly sweet, spicy, and savory balance everyone loves.
It is a fusion chaat recipe that blends traditional Indian street food flavors with a festive twist, a perfect recipe for your Diwali snack table. Not only is this a wonderful dish to serve for Diwali parties, festive get-togethers, but it can also be enjoyed as a quick Indian snack with caramel chai.
Here, crunchy roasted cashews are glazed in maple syrup, spiced to perfection, and mixed with refreshing chaat ingredients, and served over crispy crackers or papdi.
The Inspiration Behind This Recipe
This recipe was born one festive evening when I wanted something quick, elegant, and full of Indian flavor, something that felt like a celebration in every bite. A handful of cashews, a touch of maple syrup, sesame seeds, a handful of basic spices, veggies like onion, tomato, chili, and herbs like cilantro, pomegranate, tempting chutneys, and this delicious idea came together!
It is easy to customize vegetarian appetizer recipes. For example, use the nuts of your choice, add the spices of your choice, or add the sweetener of your choice, or make it vegan by swapping ghee with oil.
I used Tuc crackers for serving these chaat bites, but you can also use any other crackers of your choice.
The customization options are endless.
Let’s learn how to make it.
Why You will Love the Recipe
These Roasted Cashew Chaat Bites
✔️ are simple, quick & easy to make
✔️ get ready in 10 minutes
✔️ are ideal for diwali parties
✔️ can be served at festive gatherings
✔️ are vegetarian
✔️ can also be made vegan-friendly
✔️ have sweet, spicy, tangy flavors
✔️ can also be served with tea
✔️ are crunchy and delicious
✔️ are a great make-ahead appetizer or party snack
Ingredients
For the Roasted Cashews
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Cashews – It is the star ingredient of this recipe that gives crunch and richness.
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Ghee – I have used ghee for roasting and for rich flavours. But you can also use butter for roasting. To make it vegan, swap ghee with coconut oil or neutral oil.
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Sweetener – To sweeten the cashews and to give it a beautiful, caramelized sticky glaze, I used maple syrup. But you can also use agave nectar, brown sugar, or jaggery powder.
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Sesame seeds – They add a lovely nutty crunch to these cashews and go well the sweet and salty textures.
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Spices – To season these cashews, I have used basic spices like red chili powder to add heat, dried mint powder for a hint of freshness and herby punch, roasted cumin powder to add warmth and earthy flavours, chaat masala for that tangy kick, and black salt to intensify all the flavors perfectly.
For the Chaat
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Onion – To make chaat, you will need some chopped finely for pungency and crunch.
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Tomato – Chopped tomatoes are added for juiciness and color
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Green chili – It adds a mild spicy touch.
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Fresh coriander – It adds a beautiful contrast, and freshness.
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Pomegranate arils – They add sweetness and texture and a lovely red color.
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Lemon Juice – Freshly squeezed lemon or lime nice adds tang and refreshing touch to this chat.
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Seasoning – It has simple spices like red chili powder, roasted cumin powder, chaat masala, and black salt.
For Serving
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Crackers or papdi – For the crisp base for the chaat bites, I used tuc crackers. But you can also use papdi or any other crackers of your choice.
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Tamarind chutney – This chutney is necessary for chaats. It adds sweetness and tang.
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Mint-cilantro chutney – It is used for herby freshness and color.
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Chopped cilantro – It uses garnish and extra flavor.
How to Make
Roast the Cashews
Making this recipe is super simple. All you need to do is roast cashews.
To roast, heat ghee, butter, or oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Then add cashews and roast until golden.
Once toasted, drizzle in maple syrup (or jaggery/brown sugar) and cook for a few seconds until they get a sticky, glossy, and caramelized glaze.
Then add sesame seeds and roast for another minute until cashews are evenly coated.
Then turn off the heat and mix in the spices. Then transfer them to parchment paper to cool and let them crisp up.
Make the Chaat
To make chaat, add onion, tomato, green chili, coriander, pomegranate arils, red chili powder, roasted cumin powder, chaat masala, black salt, and lemon juice to a mixing bowl.
Mix until everything is well combined and flavorful. Then add roasted cashews right before serving and toss well.
Assemble the Chaat Bites
To serve, arrange crackers or papdi on a serving tray. Spoon the chaat mixture on each.
Drizzled with chutneys, and garnished with chopped cilantro and a few pomegranate pearls for a festive finish.
Serve it immediately for the freshness and crunch.
Variations
Vegan version
To make vegan roasted cashews, swap ghee with oil.
Dry snack
The sweet and spicy roasted cashews can also be enjoyed as dry after school. Or have these spiced roasted cashews as a healthy festive snack with some teatime snack.
Nut variations
For a different taste, and texture, you can replace cashews with almonds, walnuts, peanuts, or pecans.
Nut mix
You can also use a mix of assorted nuts and seeds for variety.
Serving Suggestions
This chaat is perfect as it is when served as a party appetizer or Indian festival snack. It is also great for tea-time snacks or evening get-togethers.
For a festive brunch, you can serve it on a chaat platter with avocado chaat, samosa chaat, chips chaat, dahi vada and dahi puri.
The roasted cashews can also make a lovely holiday gift. Simply pack them in small gift boxes to make a festive edible gift.
Storage Suggestions
Store roasted cashews in an airtight container for up to a week.
You can make the chaat mixture a few hours ahead and refrigerate. Whenever you want to serve, assemble the chaat bites fresh before serving, so the crackers stay crisp.
Tips & Tricks to make the best roasted cashews chaat
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Roasting: I have roasted cashews in a pan over medium heat. You can also roast them in an oven or in an air fryer.
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Stirring: Cashews tend to burn very fast, so keep stirring constantly to avoid burning.
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Spices: Make sure to add spices after turning off the heat. This step helps them prevent burning and keep their aroma intact.
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Cooling: The cashews turn crispy after cooling, so always cool the cashews completely before storing or using it in chaat.
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Assembling: When serving it for parties, roast the cashews in advance and assemble just before serving.
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Serving ideas: To make them look elegant, serve on mini crackers, papdi. You can also use puff pastry cups, phyllo pastry cups, or tart shells for a different texture and taste.
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Sweetener: Adding sweetener is totally optional, but highly recommended as it enhances the overall taste of roasted cashews. If you don’t prefer a sweet taste, you can skip adding sweetener. They will still taste super good. I used maple syrup, you can also use other sweeteners like jaggery or brown sugar or honey.
Sweet & Spicy Roasted Cashews Chaat (Step-by-step photo instructions)
Roast the Cashews
- Heat ghee, butter, or oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the cashews and roast for 3–4 minutes, stirring continuously until they turn light golden.
- Drizzle in the maple syrup and cook for a few seconds. Once glossy and caramelized, add sesame seeds and roast for about 1 minute, or until the sesame seeds coat the cashews evenly.
- Turn off the heat and add all the spices — chili powder, mint powder, roasted cumin powder, chaat masala, and black salt. Sauté and stir constantly for another minute until the spices coat the cashews evenly. Transfer them immediately to a parchment-lined plate and let them cool completely. They will turn crisp as they cool.
Make the Chaat
- In a mixing bowl, add chopped onions, tomatoes, green chili, coriander, pomegranate arils, red chili powder, black salt, cumin powder, chaat masala, and lemon juice.
- Mix until everything is well combined, then add the roasted cashews and toss well.
Serving Chaat Bites
- Place a tablespoon of chaat on each cracker or crispy papdi. Drizzle with tamarind chutney, mint-cilantro chutney, and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.
Recipe Card
Sweet & Spicy Roasted Cashews Chaat [Recipe]
★★★★★
(Rating: 5 from 6 reviews)
| Prep time 🕐 | Cook time 🕐 | Total time 🕐 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 mins | ||
| Category ☶ | Cuisine ♨ | Serves ☺ |
| Appetizers | Indian | 14 bites |
| Nutrition Info ⊛ | Serving size ⊚ | |
| 90 calories | 1 Bite |
INGREDIENTS
For Roasted Cashews
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 tablespoon ghee, butter, or oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, brown sugar, or jaggery powder
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- ½ teaspoon chili powder (adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon mint powder
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon chaat masala powder
- ¼ teaspoon black salt
For Chaat
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tomato, chopped
- ½ green chili, chopped
- 1–2 tablespoons chopped coriander
- 2–3 tablespoons pomegranate arils
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon black salt
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon chaat masala powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
For Serving
- Roasted cashew chaat
- Crackers or papdi
- Tamarind chutney
- Mint coriander chutney
- Chopped cilantro
INSTRUCTIONS:
Roast the Cashews
- Heat ghee, butter, or oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the cashews and roast for 3–4 minutes, stirring continuously until they turn light golden.
- Drizzle in the maple syrup and cook for a few seconds. Once glossy and caramelized, add sesame seeds and roast for about 1 minute, or until the sesame seeds coat the cashews evenly.
- Turn off the heat and add all the spices — chili powder, mint powder, roasted cumin powder, chaat masala, and black salt. Sauté and stir constantly for another minute until the spices coat the cashews evenly. Transfer them immediately to a parchment-lined plate and let them cool completely. They will turn crisp as they cool.
Make the Chaat
- In a mixing bowl, add chopped onions, tomatoes, green chili, coriander, pomegranate arils, red chili powder, black salt, cumin powder, chaat masala, and lemon juice.
- Mix until everything is well combined, then add the roasted cashews and toss well.
Serving Chaat Bites
- Place a tablespoon of chaat on each cracker or crispy papdi. Drizzle with tamarind chutney, mint-cilantro chutney, and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.
Watch Full Recipe Video:
NOTES:
- Store the roasted cashews in an airtight container for up to a week.
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Author: Anupama
Recipe Source Link: https://www.mygingergarlickitchen.com/roasted-cashews-chaat/
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