Healthy Boiled Peanut Salad

This Healthy Boiled Peanut Salad is a popular South Indian street food that is commonly sold on beaches. It makes for a complete meal or a delicious and healthy snack, is relatively high in protein, and comes together in no time. Follow my easy-to-follow, step-by-step recipe with photos.

India is surrounded by the ocean and has GORGEOUS beaches. Unfortunately, a lot of these beaches aren’t fit for swimming in them. Don’t get me wrong, there are still beaches where you can swim in, so if you are looking for it, you will find it. In general, our beach culture growing up was visiting beaches with high currents, because it’s so fun to try and catch the waves and run away from them. The highlight was the street food they sell on the beaches. They sell different kinds of chaats ( traditional savory snacks sold by street vendors), icy drinks, and even chai.

Now, boiled peanut chaat is like the healthy sister of oil roasted peanut chaat. Both are commonly served in a newspaper cone and that screams nostalgia to me. That is how I was inspired to create this salad but also make it slightly better!

Ingredients and Substitutes for the Boiled Peanut Chaat/Salad

Peanuts: You need raw (as in non-roasted peanuts), with or without the skin. If you have a nut allergy, just replace this with chickpeas, sprouts, or any kind of cooked beans. Won’t be the same of course, but you gotta make it work for you 😉

Aromatics: Green chilies and chopped coriander/cilantro. You can skip out the green chili if you’ve got a baby mouth but I highly recommend it. Try to build your heat resistance slowly. You can add also use mint leaves in this salad. Vegetables: I highly recommend adding tomatoes, cucumber and red onion. You can add or remove any veg from this. You can add lettuce for more volume if this is a meal.

Seasoning and spices: Lemon juice, chaat masala, red chili powder, salt. You can add roasted cumin powder, some sumac, etc. Don’t overdo it though. Keeping the spices simple is the key to making this salad/chaat just right. Chaat masala is all you need sometimes.

Step by Step Guide to Make Boiled Peanut Salad

1. The first step to making this boiled peanut salad is to slice up the cucumber and tomato and salt it. Salting draws out the moisture from these watery veggies and helps keep the salad crunchy. and less soggy even if you refrigerate it for a day. Set this aside for 30 minutes while you prep the peanuts.

2. Then, wash the peanuts and then add enough water and salt to cook the peanuts. You can pressure cook for 12 minutes or boil in a pan for 25 minutes. If pressure cooked, wait for the pressure to naturally leave the cooker.

3. Once the peanuts are cooked, it’s time to build the salad. Start by squeezing out the liquid from the vegetables through a sieve.

4. Add the peanuts, cucumbers, tomatoes, chopped red onion, and green chili to a bowl.

5. Then add the seasonings (red chili powder, chaat masala), a squeeze of lemon juice, and chopped coriander to this bowl. I don’t add salt yet because the peanuts and veg were salted. So taste the salad before adding salt to it.

6. Toss everything and serve immediately. You can also refrigerate this and serve later.

Storage:

This salad lasts in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

It would make me so happy if you give this recipe a try! If you do, hit me up on Instagram or comment down below. I would love to hear what you think.

Check out other healthy street food recipes from the blog:

• Vegan Kathi Roll
• Vegan Yoghurt Toast – Spicy
• Baked Aloo Tikki – Crispy and Healthy
• Tofu masala sandwich

Boiled Peanut Salad

Ingredients1x2x3x

• 1 cup raw whole peanuts 125 g
• 1/4 cup Red onion chopped, finely about half an small onion
• 1/2 Cucumber, diced
• 1 Tomato, chopped
• 2 Green chilies, finely chopped optional
• 10 sprigs Coriander/Cilantro chopped
• 1/2 tsp Red chili powder
• 1 tbsp lime/lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp Chaat masala
• 2 tsp salt divided

Instructions

• Add the tomatoes and cucumbers in a large bowl, add 1 tsp salt to this and toss well. Let this rest for 30 minutes to draw out the liquid from it. This step is optional but highly recommended as it helps keep the salad non-soggy and tastes better for longer.
• After 30 minutes or more, drain the liquid that is left in the tomatoes and cucumbers by passing them through a large sieve or colander. Set aside.
• Wash the peanuts and then add enough water and 1 tsp salt to cook the peanuts. You can pressure cook for 12 minutes or boil in a pan for 25 minutes.
• Let the steam release naturally and then drain the peanuts onto a colander.
• Once the peanuts cool down, add them to a large bowl (large enough to toss everything together) and add the rest of the ingredients along with the cucumbers and tomatoes.
• Taste for salt and only add if it feels less because the veggies were salted and the peanuts were cooked in salt too.
• Toss well and serve. It can also be refrigerated and enjoyed for the next few days.

Nutrition

Idli Podi recipe or milagai podi is a dry condiment from South India thats served with Dosa or Idli or any other rice based dish. You can buy it from a store but it’s also very easy to make at home! Here is a step-by-step recipe for the idli podi and to make the Podi Idli fry with it.

Podi Idli fry is one of the easiest recipes to make and it comes together in minutes if you have prepped the Podi and idlis or fluffy India rice cakes in advance. You can also use large idlis to make the same recipe but I am using mini idlis here – because why not? This recipe is entirely vegan and so light on the stomach. It is the perfect dish to pack for lunches. Check out my Idli recipe to know how to make the batter for some perfectly fluffy idlis .

What are Mini Idlis and Podi?

I remember as a school-going kid, finding mini idlis for breakfast would be the best day of my life. There is no difference between regular idlis and mini idlis (it’s the same batter). But mini idlis gave me the feeling of being a giant who can gobble up to 20 tiny idlis at once. Mini idlis are nothing but a tad smaller than regular idlis. This Podi can also be separately served on the side of dosa, idli, Pongal etc mixed with a bit of oil. But we’re going to use it to coat the mini idlis.

This idli podi recipe is a coarse spice mix often made using roasted and ground urad daal, sesame seeds, chana daal, and dry red chillies. It’s an extremely essential pantry keep, especially in a South Indian kitchen. It goes by many names – Podi, Chutney Podi, Milagal Podi which all mean the same thing i.e. spice mix. If you get the opportunity, try mixing some cooked rice and the Podi mix with a spoonful of groundnut oil. It tastes heavenly with a side of sliced raw onions on days when you don’t want to put in too much effort. Sounds delicious, right? So, let’s dive into the full recipe.

How to make this Idli Podi Recipe and Podi Idlis? (Step-by-step instructions)

Before diving into the idli podi recipe, I just want to clarify that in order to make the idlis consistently (both mini and big ones), you might need to invest in a good set of idli makers or idli steamers. At the same time, you can use any othe rmetal based mould. Shape doesn’t matter! Also, the podi or gunpowder is easily available in an Indian stores. I prefer making it fresh as the fragrance and taste differs from the store-bought powder. You do you!

Podi or gunpowder

1. In a cast iron skillet or heavy bottomed pan add sesame seeds and dry roast until they turn golden brown and set aside in a bowl. Then roast chana dal and urad dal till they turn golden brown and add to the same bowl.

2. Then, add 1 tsp oil and fry dried red chilli until they puff up a bit, then add curry leaves and fry until the leaves turn crispy.

3. Set aside and let it all cool. Transfer all the ingredients to a blender and blend to a coarse powder. Your Podi is ready.

Making the Idlis

Make sure you have the batter ready. The process is similar to how you would make regular idlis. You would only need a mini idli maker that you can buy from any Indian store.

1. Grease the steamer with oil, and place it on a steaming rack in a large pot with some water in the bottom. You can use an electric steamer if you want.

2. Steam the mini idlis for about 6-7 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Making Mini Podi Idlis

1. In a pan, add mustard seeds to some hot oil and once they start crackling, add curry leaves. Then add the prepared podi / gun powder (you can also use a store-bought one).

2. Then add the Kashmiri red chilli powder to add a pop of colour and mix well into the oil. Move on to add the mini Idlis, coating them well in the mix with a silicon spatula.

3. This dish can also be served later and enjoyed cold. It is perfect for a cute lunchbox with a side of a protein and veggie source.

Storage: Idli Podi

You can store this idli podi in an airtight jar for several months. It’s dry and won’t go bad.

I sincerely wish that you try this recipe out, and I truly hope you’re enjoying my Indian Breakfast series on my social media handles. Do show some love and if you have any queries, you know where to find me. 🙂

Take a look at my other Rice Batter based recipes here:

1. Dosa and Coconut Chutney

2. Idli and Sambar

3. Kuzhipaniyaram or Paddu

Idli Podi and Podi Idli Recipes

Ingredients1x2x3x

For Podi/Gunpowder

• 1/8 cup sesame seeds about 20 g
• 3 tsp oil you can use sesame oil, coconut oil or any vegetable oil
• 10 dried red chilli
• 8-10 curry leaves
• ¼ cup chana dal about 42 g
• ½ cup urad dal about 105 g
• ½ tsp asafoetida/hing
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp oil

For Podi Idli fry

• 2 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 3-4 nos curry leaves
• 1 tbsp kashmiri red chilli powder To add colour to the dish

Instructions

Podi recipe:

• Dry roast sesame seeds in a cast iron skillet or other heavy bottomed pan until they turn golden brown, then set aside.
• Dry roast chana dal and urad dal till they turn golden brown or toasty. Add to the same bowl.
• Then in a separate pan, add 1 tsp oil and fry dried red chilli until they puff up or turn fragrant.
• Then add curry leaves, wait for the splutter and fry until the leaves turn crispy.
• Set aside and let it all cool. Transfer all the ingredients to a blender and blend to a coarse powder.
• The Podi or gunpowder is ready. You can store this in a mini jar up to a few weeks.

Podi Idli fry

• In a pan, heat up the oil, add mustard seeds. Once they begin crackling, add curry leaves.
• Then add the prepared Podi / gun powder and kashmiri red chilli powder. Mix well until combined.
• Then add the mini or large idlis. Mix really well, coating them in the mix with a silicon spatula.
• Fry the idlis for a minute, to warm them up and serve immediately.

Nutrition

This vegan pal payasam is a delicious, no-nonsense creamy rice and milk pudding. It is commonly made in South India, particularly in Kerala for the festival of Onam. Since rice is the staple grain in south India, it has several great recipes for salty as well as sweet. This payasam (also called kheer in Hindi) is going to be your favorite rice pudding from now on. It uses very simple and minimal ingredients but tastes so rich and decadent.

More about Pal Payasam

In India, a rice pudding has several names. the ones I’m familiar with are kheer (hindi) and payasam (malayalam and Tamil). Pal payasam literally translates to milk (paal) pudding of sorts (payasam). It is often written as Paal Payasam or referred or Rice Payasam or chawal ki kheer (kheer made of rice).

This vegan Pal Payasam is really the easiest Indian dessert that you can make. It literally involves only 4-5 ingredients – rice, soy milk, sugar, nuts, and dried fruit, flavored with cardamom– cooked down to a thick and creamy pudding of bliss.

Ingredients and extra additions for Vegan Rice Pudding

The name of this dish literally starts with milk. And my answer to dairy-based milk is always soy milk. It has a very similar nutrition profile with the perfect combination of fat and protein required to cook this payasam down and get that creamy rich consistency you get from regular milk. And no, it doesn’t taste any different but has the added benefit of containing no cholesterol and a happy cow. Win-win? 😉

When it comes to rice, the most traditional rice used in Kerala for pal payasam is Chemba pachari which isn’t something I find here in France. So I used Ponni rice. You can use any kind of short-grained white rice for this recipe. You may also sub with basmati rice which is what they use in North India for Kheer.

I use vegan ghee which is more common in the markets nowadays than before. But you can also just use deodorized coconut oil , avocado oil , or any other neutral oil to fry the nuts and dried fruit in.

Of course you can make this dessert as fancy as you want with additions like:

• Saffron strands
• Sliced almonds
• Chopped pistachios
• Rose water
• Ground nutmeg

How to make Vegan Pal Payasam

Basically, Rice Payasam is made with the slow cooking method. Simmering the Vegan Pal Payasam for a long time helps in developing complex flavors that make up for the simple ingredients.

1. Start by washing the rice, covering it with water, and setting it aside.

2. In a wide deep bottomed heavy pan pour in the water and the soy milk and bring to a slow boil.

3. Once it comes to a boil add in the drained rice to the pan and let it cook on a medium flame.

4. The milk mixture will slowly evaporate and reduce in volume by half after the 30-minute mark. After 1 hour and 10 minutes, the mixture would have acquired an off-white color and turned thick in consistency.

Now, Add in the sugar and ground cardamom seeds and mix well. Let it boil for 2 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the flame and set it aside.

5. In a smaller pan, heat vegan ghee and add in the cashews and raisins. Fry on low flame until the nuts are slightly golden and then pour it on to the vegan pal payasam. Serve warm or cold.

I hope you make this for a special occasion or as a lovely treat for yourself! Do tag me on Instagram or comment down below if you do!

Try other delicious Indian desserts from the blog:

• Vegan Pear Halwa
• Vegan Gulab Jamun
• Vegan Kulfi – Indian Ice Cream
• Healthy Vegan Laddoos
• Vegan Ela Ada | The Best Healthy South Indian Dessert

Vegan Pal Payasam

Ingredients1x2x3x

For the base of the payasam

• 2 cups Soy milk (480 g)
• 3 cups Water (720 g) Milk to water ratio 2:3 by volume
• 1/4 cup Raw Rice (47 g)
• 1/3 cup Sugar (67 g)
• 4-5 Cardamom pods shelled and powdered fine

Tempering with nuts and dried fruit

• 2 tsp Vegan ghee sub with avocado oil, deodorized coconut oil or any other nuetral oil
• 8-10 cashew nuts halved
• 8-10 raisins

Instructions

• Wash the rice, cover with water and set aside.
• In a wide deep bottomed heavy pan pour in the water and the soy milk and bring to a slow boil.
• Once it comes to a boil add in the drained rice to the pan and let it cook on a medium flame.
• The milk mixture will slowly evaporate and reduce in volume by half after the 30 minute mark. After 1 hour and 10 minutes, the mixture would have acquired an off white colour and turned thick in consistency. At this point you can add 1/4 cup more soy milk to loosen it up if its too thick for you.
• Add in the sugar and ground cardamom seeds and mix well. Let it boil for 2 minutes until the sugar is dissolved in. Turn off the flame and set aside.
• Heat vegan ghee and oil in a pan and add in the cashews and raisins. Fry on low flame until the nuts are slightly golden and then pour it on to the vegan pal payasam.
• Serve warm or cold. Enjoy!

Notes

• This vegan pal payasam can be stored in the refrigerator (in an air-tight container) for up to a week and enjoyed throughout the week.
• When cooled down, the payasam gets thicker. So make sure to cater to that when boiling down the payasam to your desired thickness.

Nutrition

Boiled Peanut Salad

Ingredients1x2x3x

• 1 cup raw whole peanuts 125 g
• 1/4 cup Red onion chopped, finely about half an small onion
• 1/2 Cucumber, diced
• 1 Tomato, chopped
• 2 Green chilies, finely chopped optional
• 10 sprigs Coriander/Cilantro chopped
• 1/2 tsp Red chili powder
• 1 tbsp lime/lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp Chaat masala
• 2 tsp salt divided

Instructions

• Add the tomatoes and cucumbers in a large bowl, add 1 tsp salt to this and toss well. Let this rest for 30 minutes to draw out the liquid from it. This step is optional but highly recommended as it helps keep the salad non-soggy and tastes better for longer.
• After 30 minutes or more, drain the liquid that is left in the tomatoes and cucumbers by passing them through a large sieve or colander. Set aside.
• Wash the peanuts and then add enough water and 1 tsp salt to cook the peanuts. You can pressure cook for 12 minutes or boil in a pan for 25 minutes.
• Let the steam release naturally and then drain the peanuts onto a colander.
• Once the peanuts cool down, add them to a large bowl (large enough to toss everything together) and add the rest of the ingredients along with the cucumbers and tomatoes.
• Taste for salt and only add if it feels less because the veggies were salted and the peanuts were cooked in salt too.
• Toss well and serve. It can also be refrigerated and enjoyed for the next few days.

Nutrition