Toasting nuts in microwave
From America’s Test Kitchen:
Here’s the method: Place the ingredient in a shallow microwave-safe bowl or pie plate in a thin, even layer. Cook on full power, stopping to check the color and stir every minute at first. As the food starts to take on color, microwave it in 30-second increments to avoid burning.
The cooking is more even in the microwave, so less stirring is required. Plus, there will be less carryover cooking in a microwave-safe vessel than in a highly conductive metal skillet, so you don’t have to worry about quickly transferring the nuts to a cool bowl or plate.
We found that this microwave approach works well not only with nuts but also with other ingredients that need a quick toasting before use, such as bread crumbs, seeds (like pepitas, sesame, or sunflower), shredded coconut, and whole spices like coriander or cumin seeds. Whole spices need only a couple of minutes, while most other ingredients need about 5 minutes (your timing may vary depending on your microwave, of course).
The cooking is more even in the microwave, so less stirring is required. Plus, there will be less carryover cooking in a microwave-safe vessel than in a highly conductive metal skillet, so you don’t have to worry about quickly transferring the nuts to a cool bowl or plate.
We found that this microwave approach works well not only with nuts but also with other ingredients that need a quick toasting before use, such as bread crumbs, seeds (like pepitas, sesame, or sunflower), shredded coconut, and whole spices like coriander or cumin seeds. Whole spices need only a couple of minutes, while most other ingredients need about 5 minutes (your timing may vary depending on your microwave, of course).
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