Street food

Jhagda Moongfali

Name: Jhagda Moongfali
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 200 g raw peanuts (moongfali); 2 tbsp ghee or butter; salt, to taste; chaat masala, to taste

The unofficial snack of every domestic debate — buttery, salty, moreish peanuts ready in under five minutes. Pragya calls them jhagda moongfali: fighting peanuts. The minimum dose before beginning any argument with your husband is four. Results may vary.

5 minServes 2 mild

Method

Place the peanuts in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the ghee and toss to coat.
Microwave on high for 2 minutes . Stir, then microwave for another 2 minutes .
Remove from the microwave. Immediately add salt and chaat masala and toss well — the heat helps the seasoning stick.
Spread on a plate to cool. They will crisp up further as they cool.

Cook's note. Every microwave runs differently — check after the first 2 minutes and adjust the second blast accordingly. You want them toasted and fragrant, not burnt.

The story

Roasted peanuts salted in ghee are one of the oldest street snacks in India, sold from carts at every railway station and cricket ground. The chaat masala variant — a pinch of amchoor, black salt and roasted cumin — is a North Indian street food standard that turns a simple nut into something entirely addictive.