Paleo Curried Almonds are packed with super food spices that contain nutritious anti-inflammatory compounds. This easy paleo snack recipe is made with 7 ingredients! All you need to whip it up is almonds, turmeric, coriander, cumin, black pepper, olive oil, and salt. Perfect served with cocktails, this Paleo Curried Almonds recipe is simple yet elegant.
What is Curry?
The word “curry” refers to a blend of spices, and is a generic term used in Western culture. In the traditional cuisines of Southeast Asia, the precise spice blend of a curry can be determined by everything from regional preferences to family customs.
The Western version of curry, a commercially prepared mixture of spices, dates back to the 18th century. During my Ayurvedic training in the early 1990’s we were taught to prepare our own curries using a suribachi to grind the whole spices. The freshly ground spices have an especially aromatic quality and retain their nutritional benefit. This is what makes homemade curry blends so special.
While I enjoy preparing a variety of curries, I think this one goes best with almonds. The following outlines the benefits of the various spices in the curry below:
Turmeric
Derived from an orange root that looks similar to ginger root, turmeric is a potent, yet safe anti-inflammatory. It can be used in the treatment of IBD, rheumatoid arthritis, and in the prevention of cancer. Turmeric is also thought to lower cholesterol, and provide protection to the cardiovascular system, and also may aid in liver function.
Coriander
This spice is useful in controlling of blood sugar, as well as cholesterol. Further, coriander contains an antibacterial compound that may prove to be a wonderfully natural means of fighting salmonella and other bacteria.
Cumin
Useful in the production of iron, as well as effective in boosting immune function, cumin is also known to be of great benefit to the digestive system. This spice may also protect against certain types of cancer.
Paleo Curried Almonds
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
- 2 cups almonds
- 1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon coriander
Instructions
- Place oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat
- Add almonds to skillet
- Stir in salt, turmeric, pepper, cumin, and coriander
- Continue toasting almonds in skillet until fragrant, about 5 minutes
- Remove from heat and allow nuts to cool in pan
- Serve
We love serving Paleo Curried Almonds with hors d’oeuvres, or as tasty hit of protein when we’re in a hurry. Here are some of my other healthy paleo snack recipes:
CJ says
I do not have a cast iron skillet can I use any skillet?
Elana says
CJ, feel free to experiment :-)
elizabeth burke says
I love curried sliced almonds as a salad topping. Really adds zest! My current favorite is arugula, butter lettuce, tunafish, sliced apple and curried almond slivers with oil and vinegar, S&P. Not sure if it’s paleo but it’s Whole30 compliant!
Elana says
Thanks Elizabeth!
Devik says
I made these with walnuts and added a little cayenne and a pinch of sugar (I’m not paleo). Delicious!
Elana says
Devik, I’m so glad you liked them!
ElisabethR says
Hi,I love this recipe and the idea and will be doing it immediately for little lunch boxes!! (we can have nuts at our school!) I married an Indian man, and the word ‘curry’ translates to actually mean ‘meat’, so its actually MASALA and they mix different spices together for different things can be for anything meat, cheese, veg, fish, eggs,snacks, dahls; and this is coined in the west to mean ‘curry’ . search masala anything, and you will see the array of different recipes from all over India….YUMMY, and so interesting!
Elana says
Elisabeth, thanks!
Joan Cortez says
I made the Paleo Brownies. My husband liked them but not as much as the other desserts. I added some shredded coconut to the top for a little extra umph. I plan to add walnuts next time.
Caroline says
Yum! These turned out perfect for my taste! They could easily turn into my new fav, late night, salty snack. So much better than store bought roasted nuts. We eat a lot of nuts…I don’t know why I hadn’t tried this before. THANK YOU ELANA!
HiDee says
Where in the world does one get freshly ground turmeric, coriander and cumin? I’ve never heard that about spices losing their nutrients so quickly, I don’t think I could use them fast enough for them to retain any nutrient value.
Graham says
Coriander is the seed of the cilantro plant, literally the garden section at home depot has coriander available. Cumin is widely available as a seed and turmeric is a root similar to ginger available in tropical climates.
Leanna says
I buy what whole versions I can find and grind them myself with a coffee grinder for optimal flavor.