South Indian Mixture Recipe

Heat oil for frying

Pour about 1.5–2 cups oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed pan. Heat oil to medium (about 325–350°F / 160–175°C). Test by dropping a small piece of besan — it should sizzle and rise slowly.

Fry peanuts

Carefully add raw peanuts in a single layer (1 cup). Fry, stirring frequently, until golden and cooked through, about 4–6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Fry cashews

Reduce oil slightly if very hot. Fry cashews (0.5 cup) until light golden, about 2–3 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Set aside with peanuts.

Fry dals

Pat the soaked & drained chana dal (0.5 cup) and moong dal (0.25 cup) dry between kitchen towels. Fry in batches until golden and crisp (chana dal 3–4 minutes, moong dal 2–3 minutes). Drain and set aside. The dals will puff lightly and become crunchy when cooled.

Make quick besan crisps (optional)

Mix 0.5 cup besan, 2 tbs rice flour, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp salt, and about 3–4 tbs water to make a thick dropping batter (like pancake batter). Heat oil to medium-high. Using a perforated spoon or sev press, drop small bits of batter into the oil to make tiny crisp morsels (or if using sev press, extrude directly to make fresh sev). Fry until golden and crisp, about 1–2 minutes. Remove and drain. If you are using store-bought sev exclusively, you may skip fresh besan crisps and adjust sev quantity.

Crisp separation

Spread fried sev and any fresh besan crisps on paper towels to cool and crisp up fully (they will firm as they cool).

Prepare tempering

In a small shallow pan or ladle, heat 1–2 tablespoons of the reserved frying oil over medium. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds and let them pop. Add 1/2 tsp urad dal and fry until it turns light golden. Add 10 fresh curry leaves and fry until crisp (10–20 seconds), then immediately add 1/8 tsp asafoetida and remove the pan from heat to prevent burning. The oil will be fragrant and slightly green from curry leaves.

Spice mix

In a small bowl, combine 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp red chili powder, 1 tsp chaat masala, 1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper, and 1/2 tsp amchur (if using). Mix well. Taste a pinch and adjust salt/chili as desired.

Combine main components

In a large mixing bowl, add cooled fried peanuts, cashews, chana dal, moong dal, and the fried besan crisps / sev (1.75 cups total). Toss gently to combine so the textures are even.

Add spices and tempering

Sprinkle the dry spice mix evenly over the bowl. Pour the hot tempered oil with curry leaves evenly over the mixture while tossing gently with a large spoon or your hands (use caution — oil will be hot). The hot oil will bloom the spices and lightly crisp the mixture.

Final adjustments

Toss everything thoroughly so spices coat all pieces. Taste and adjust salt, chili, or amchur as needed. If mixture is slightly oily, spread on a tray and let cool completely; it will crisp further as it cools.

Storage

Once completely cooled, transfer the mixture to an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks (longer if very dry and stored airtight).