3 tbsp sunflower oil
1½ cups whole blanched almonds
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground chili powder
½ cup brown sugar
juice of ½ lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Heat a heavy frying pan over mediumhigh
heat. Add the oil, almonds, cumin, cinnamon, chili powder, and twothirds
of the brown sugar. Toss the nuts in the sugar to coat thoroughly. Continue
to sauté until the nuts are caramelized and the sugar has melted. Stir in the
lemon juice and remove from the heat.
2Transfer the nuts to a bowl, and season well with salt and pepper, stirring
to mix. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes, just to
let them dry out. Sprinkle with the remaining brown sugar to taste.
3Serve warm or at room temperature. They will keep in a clean, dry airtight
container for a couple of weeks without spoiling.
Grinding and refreshing spices Grinding your own spices from whole pods and
seeds is so simple it is worth making this a habit. The reward far outweighs any
extra time and effort involved, as freshly ground spices have much better flavor
and aroma than store-bought versions do. Invest in an electric coffee grinder or
a wooden one that has a small drawer. Grind a batch as small or as large as you
want, then sieve to get rid of any tough husks. (Don’t make too large a batch if
you are not going to be using it within a relatively short period of time, as it will
only become stale.) Store the spice mixture in an airtight glass jar with a tightfitting
lid, and use as needed. To refresh ground spices, place the quantity that
you want to use in a dry frying pan or skillet, and heat over low-medium heat
for a couple of minutes until the spice becomes fragrant.
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