Rice Krispies Chivda (Namkeen)

Finished Rice Krispies chivda in a white marble bowl and a steel bowl with a brass spoon.

Rice Krispies Chivda (Namkeen)

This easy chivda (chiwda) recipe turns Rice Krispies cereal into a crunchy Indian-style trail mix, a savory namkeen snack with peanuts, cashews, curry leaves, and spices. No roasting or deep-frying needed, and it’s ready in 15 minutes. Sweet, spicy, nutty, and salty, it’s perfect for Diwali and tea time.

Course Snack

Cuisine Asian, Indian, Maharashtrian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings people

Calories 131.59kcal

Author Priya Lakshminarayan

Equipment

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon chana dal
15-20 fresh curry leaves
2-3 green chillies
¼ cup cashews
¼ cup peanuts
½ teaspoon asafoetida
2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon chilly powder
salt
6 oz rice krispie cereal

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large wok. Once hot, add the black mustard seeds and chana dal and let the seeds crackle. Add the fresh curry leaves and chopped green chillies and fry for 45 seconds. Priya’s tip: pat the curry leaves and green chillies dry before chopping and frying so they crisp up, since moisture makes chivda soggy. Cover the pan briefly when you add the curry leaves, because they splatter. If chana dal is hard to bite, soak it in water for 10 minutes, then drain well and pat dry before adding it to the pan. It softens and is easier to chew.
Add the cashews and peanuts and fry for about a minute, until they turn light golden. Priya’s tip: you can add the nuts whole or lightly crushed. Crushed pieces spread more evenly through the chivda and make it easier to snack on by the handful. But smaller pieces brown faster, so watch them closely.
Add the turmeric powder, asafoetida (hing), red chilli powder, and salt. Mix well and fry for another minute so the spices coat the nuts.
Lower the flame, add the Rice Krispies cereal, and mix gently until the spiced oil coats every piece. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Turn off the heat and transfer the chivda to a bowl right away, because it can burn if left in the hot pan.

Video

Notes

- Season while it’s warm. Spice powders cling best to warm cereal, and the flavors settle as the chivda cools. Do your final taste test and adjust the salt and chilli before you take the pan off the heat.
- Keep the flame at low-medium when you add the spice powders. Ground spices burn quickly, and burnt spices turn the whole batch bitter.
- Making a big batch for Diwali? You can easily double or triple this chivda recipe. Use your largest wok or deep pan, or cook in two batches, so the Rice Krispies aren’t crushed as you mix.
- Don’t skip the fresh curry leaves. They add a lot of flavor to this namkeen snack.
- No chana dal? Use roasted gram (daria). It’s already roasted, so add it along with the cashews and peanuts.
- Use fresh nuts and lentils. Stale ones will spoil the flavor of the whole batch of chiwda.

Nutrition