Spicy Maple Granola

There are a lot of amazing food in the Indian culture and I have eaten some of the best. Keep in mind that my father forbade garlic in the house and he thought pepper was hot. Scandinavians are not known for spice in their food.

It was not until later in life after meeting my sweet husband that I came to the garden of color, spice and the fragrant delights of Indian food. Like most parts of the globe, what people eat changes from region to region depending on local foods, customs, and religion. I have become fairly proficient at my husband's favorite Parsi meals even if I can no longer handle the hot peppers. When I say hot peppers I mean "gloves and mask" hot peppers.

Anyway, I came across a simple granola recipe when inspiration struck. Here is the link:

https://beamingbaker.com/5-ingredient-homemade-kind-nut-bars-vegan-gluten-free-dairy-free-refined-sugar-free/

Then my mind started turning over how to spice it up for my honey. The recipe called for brown rice puffs which are like rice crispies and I decided if that worked then adding Bhel Puri instead would work just as well. It is an Indian sweet and sour snack mix with all kinds of deliciousness in it.

In my house, I always have nuts, all kinds. I made nut curries so that makes sense. I had both cashews and plain peanuts, not roasted. So I decided to adapt the recipe and here is mine:

Ingredients:

1 C Almonds
1/2 C cashews
1/4 C peanuts
1/2 - 3/4 cup Bhel Puri Mix
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
A sprinkle of ground red chili peppers to taste

Turn the oven to 325*.

Add the nuts, salt, and Bhel to a bowl and pour over the maple syrup. Press into an 8" square pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with chili powder. Place in oven for 30-40 minutes. Be careful it burns quickly. Mine took 30 minutes.

Once it is cooled you can lift it out of the pan by holding the parchment paper. If you let it cool completely you can easily cut it into bars. I like it in chunks so I cut it sooner.

I like that this recipe only requires a few ingredients. I'd rather a recipe allow everyone to try it and not have to invest heavily to make and enjoy it. It made about 2-pint jars of chunks. Half of that is already gone.

I hope you enjoy it. Let me know!

~ Hugs from Mum