My family just loves my Spicy Party Snack Mix – it’s fun, delicious and super simple to make! In fact, what started out as a snack mix for guests and mainly parties has now become pretty much a standard in my house and now usually available all year round!

There are no hard and fast rules here, just use your favorite ingredients and get as creative as you want. This recipe is also a great way to get your kids into the kitchen to help. I must, however, caution you on the addictive qualities of this simple dish. You can serve my Spicy “Party” Snack Mix along with tea or drinks, as an appetizer or even alongside a cheese tray.

For those of you who are allergic to nuts or cannot eat nuts, try making this recipe using dry soy nuts or dry edamame as a substitute.

I use my own homemade All Purpose Curry Powder for this recipe. For your convenience, I have provided it below:


ALL PURPOSE HOME MADE CURRY POWDER

Ingredients:

2-3 dried red chilies, to taste
8-10 dried curry leaves
½ tsp black mustard seeds
3 tsp cumin seeds
4 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
½ tsp black peppercorns
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick, broken into smaller pieces (about 1½ to 2” in length)
2-3 cloves
2-3 green cardamom pods, crushed
¼ tsp smoked Spanish paprika
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp allspice
1 tsp turmeric

METHOD:

Dry roast, let cool and grind to a fine powder. Store in the pantry for up to 1 month and in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

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SPICY PARTY SNACK MIX

Ingredients:

5 cups various Chex cereals (Crispix works well too)
1½ cup mini pretzels
1½ cups sesame sticks

1 cup roasted peanuts
(I used honey roasted)
1 cup roasted mixed nuts (cashews, almonds, pecans…)
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp sugar, to taste

1 tbsp soy sauce

½ tsp red chili powder, to taste
2 heaping tsp curry powder

salt & pepper, to taste


METHOD:

Preheat oven to 275°F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cereals together with the mini pretzels, sesame sticks and nuts. Mix well to combine all of the ingredients together. Next, lightly spray a large baking tray or cookie sheet with a little cooking spray. Then spread the snack mix out in a single layer and let it gently toast in the oven for about 40-45 minutes, remembering to stir the snack mix every so often. The snack mix should be a light golden brown in color. Transfer it to a large mixing bowl & set aside until needed.

While the snack mix is in the oven, you can make the spiced butter. In a small saucepan on medium low heat, add the butter. When melted, add the sugar and stir well to combine. Once the sugar has completely dissolved, add in the spices (red chili powder, curry powder, salt & pepper). Stir well and let cook for just a minute or so. Then remove the saucepan from the heat and carefully pour the spiced butter over the still warm snack mix. Stir to thoroughly combine and serve immediately.

The snack mix can be stored in an airtight container for a few weeks but mine never lasts more than a few days!


VARIATIONS:

Feel free to add some raisins or dried cranberries for a delicious touch of sweetness.



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