Bombay Nut 'N' Raisin Mix

Three kinds of nuts toasted in curry-spiked garlic butter, tossed with broken pretzels and plump raisins. This Indian-inspired snack mix hits sweet, salty, savory, and spicy in every handful, and it comes together in a single skillet in about 15 minutes.

The butter-garlic base does the heavy lifting. Melted butter with crushed garlic becomes the vehicle for curry powder, chili flakes, and Worcestershire sauce. Almonds, pine nuts, and cashews get stirred through this spiced butter so every nut is coated before the pretzels join the party.

The raisins go in off the heat. Adding them during cooking would make them tough and leathery. Stirred in at the end, they stay plump and chewy, and the residual warmth from the nuts softens them just enough.

Three to four minutes of gentle cooking over medium heat is all the nuts need. They’ll continue toasting from carryover heat after you pull the pan, so don’t wait until they look done in the skillet.

Chef Tips

• Break the pretzels into roughly 1-inch pieces. Uniform size means even coating and consistent crunch in every bite.
• Stir frequently during cooking. Butter burns fast and pine nuts go from golden to scorched in seconds.
• Cool the mix completely before storing. Warm nuts in a sealed container turn soft and lose their crunch.
• Use unblanched almonds (skins on) for more texture and a nuttier flavor.

Variations

• Tropical version: Swap raisins for dried mango pieces and add a squeeze of lime juice at the end.
• Extra heat: Add a pinch of cayenne or garam masala to the butter for deeper, more complex spice.