Congress Kadlekai Recipe

Congress Kadlekai, also known as Masala Peanuts, is a popular snack from Karnataka made by dry roasting raw peanuts until crisp, then tossing them with a flavorful spice mixture that coats each peanut perfectly. It's a popular tea-time snack and pairs wonderfully with a hot cup of masala chai or coffee.

In Karnataka, congress kadlekai is famously found in condiment stores and Iyengar bakeries. Also, you generally see the street chat stalls keeping a big box of congress kadlekai and adding them to the churmuri and other chaat recipes.

It is nutritious, healthy, guilt-free, and a good time-pass snack for those lengthy chit-chats. And the best part is you can recreate it at home in just a few minutes; it's that easy. They can be made in under 5 minutes, if you already have roasted and de-skinned peanuts. You may also love my other peanut snack, masala peanuts.

You can also congress kadlekai to make a delightful congress peanut chaat, similar to my masala peanuts chaat.

Jump to:

• Why Is Masala Peanuts called Congress Kadlekai?
• How to Make Congress Kadlekai Recipe
• What to Serve with Congress Kadlekayi?
• Expert Tips
• More Indian Snack Recipes
• Congress Kadlekai (Masala Peanuts)

Why Is Masala Peanuts called Congress Kadlekai?

There are quite a few stories that go back to 1970s. For example, one of the stories says that, following the split of the congress party, they started calling peanuts as Congress Kadlekai because we split the peanuts into two halves to make this spicy, crunchy snack.

How to Make Congress Kadlekai Recipe

1. In a thick-bottomed pan, dry roast 1 cup of raw peanuts until light brown under the medium-low flame. Peanuts will also start crackling. Take care not to burn the peanuts. You can also roast the peanuts in an air fryer.
2. Cool the roasted peanuts and remove the skin by rubbing your hands between the peanuts, if not all. A little bit of skin on the peanuts is ok, and then halve the peanuts.
3. Place a kadai/pan on low flame. Heat 2 teaspoons oil, add 1 stalk curry leaves, and saute until curry leaves turn crisp.
4. Next, add all the spice powders, like ¼ teaspoon red chili powder, ¼ teaspoon pepper powder, 1 big pinch asafoetida, and 1 big pinch turmeric powder. Give a quick stir. Make sure not to burn the spices.
5. Immediately add de-skinned and halved peanuts, salt, and ¼ teaspoon sugar for taste. Adding sugar is optional, but I highly recommend it.
6. Mix well for a minute under a very low flame. The masala has to coat the peanuts well. Switch off the stove and keep it aside.
7. Once it is cool enough to mix with hand, crush the curry leaves well using your hands. Doing this will help in blending the curry leaves well with the peanuts.
8. Serve the spiced congress kadlekai recipe with some tea or top it on churmuri, tomato slice chaat, or any chaat.

Expert Tips

• Roast the peanuts on low flame, or else it will not be crunchy. Also, it might get a side odor, and it would taste bad after a few days.
• Removing the skin is key to how the congress kadlekai tastes, but it's okay to have a little bit of skin left.
• Adjust spices according to your choice. While making the tempering, make sure the heat is low. If not, the spices will burn.
• Adding sugar to the spiced kadlekai recipe is completely optional, but store-bought congress kadlekai has little sugar in them.
• You have to wait until the peanuts cool down completely before you store them in an airtight container. The congress kadlekai stays good for 1 month if stored well.
• You can roast peanuts on a stovetop pan or microwave. In a microwave-safe bowl, add peanuts and micro on high for 3-4 minutes, tossing them over every minute until they roasted well.
• If you already have roasted and de-skinned peanuts at home, this recipe can be under 5 minutes.

More Indian Snack Recipes

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