The underground nut

Peanuts/groundnuts are the only nuts that grow below the ground. In fact, there is a lot of talk...

By Sanjeev Kapoor 31 May 2016 in Articles Know Your Ingredients

New Update

Peanuts/groundnuts are the only nuts that grow below the ground. In fact, there is a lot of talk about these nuts not being nuts at all…they are legumes (hmm, that’s why the name moongphali?). The flower of a peanut plant are a typical pea flower in shape not larger than 4 centimetires and are yellow in colour with red veins. After pollination, the flower stalk elongates so much that it bends until the ovary touches the ground. Applied force from the continuous stalk growth then pushes the ovary underground where the mature fruit develops into a legume pod containing small seeds that are raw peanuts. Each pod could contain one to four seeds. To harvest the crop, the peanut pods are pulled out from under the ground. This is why peanuts are also called groundnuts. The fact remains that these legumes are categorised as nuts only because of the high nutritive values.

In my kitchen, come hot or cold weather, roasted with some salt and masala, peanuts are a good choice for snacking. Or boil the whole pods with some salt and turmeric powder…takes a while to peel and eat but worth the effort! In fact, boiled raw peanuts make a delicious chaat with onions, tomatoes and kala namak. Another peanut favourite in our family is the Peanut Raisin Bars which my daughters love to make with Alyona (and then take the whole lot to school!). To make these you need a cup of roasted chopped peanuts with three fourth cup of seedless raisins. Take quarter cup each of butter, sugar and honey and heat through. Then simmer for three minutes and remove from heat. Add raisins, peanuts and one and half cups cornflakes cereal. Spread in greased tray and when cooled, cut into bars. Simple, tasty and healthy! Peanuts play a large role in our daily food being able to take various guises in salads, gravies, snacks, rice, chutneys, laddoos, chikki etc. The list can go on… like add it to chewda, or add to poha the way Alyona does too.

Peanuts taste the best when they are tender and just harvested. Once while travelling across Andhra by car I saw peanut fields on either side. Just got down and asked for a few of them that had been harvested…. just awesome. South Indians use them a lot in their recipes. You can use peanuts as a wonderful gravy base, or fry in oil and add to tamarind/ lemon/ coconut or curd rice or any other rice variety.

Another product is peanut butter which is a large product in the US and Europe. I remember peanut butter and jelly sandwich having high visibility till some time ago…but the same butter has its adaptations in candies and chocolates and bakery products too (crunchy peanut cookies being my personal favourite). Peanut oil (we know it better as groundnut oil!) is probably the most popular cooking medium. It has high smoking point hence ideal for frying.

I learnt a trick from my father when we lived in Delhi: how to choose good moongphali – it should feel heavy for its size and secondly, should not rattle since a rattling sound suggests that the peanut kernels have dried out. Additionally, the shells should be free from cracks, dark spots and insect damage. Shelled peanuts should be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer since excess exposure to heat, humidity or light will cause them to become rancid. Shelled peanuts will keep in the refrigerator for about three months and in the freezer for up to six months. They should not be chopped prior to storage, only right before eating or using in a recipe.