For all peanut lovers…
I go nuts for nuts, my most favorite being cashew nuts. I always have some kind of nuts stored in my pantry as they entertain me during snack time. Cashew nuts and peanuts are very common in my hometown. If you go to any beaches in kerala, you wouldn’t see people swimming in the ocean nor would they be sun bathing. They will be seen relaxing on the shore and almost everyone will be munching on roasted peanuts. Sorry, it’s not those artificially flavored peanuts that we get it from the stores. Those are freshly roasted unsalted hot peanuts. Near to the beaches, despite of any weather peanut vendors will be lined up with their vending carts and will be seen roasting the peanuts non-stop. As the beach gets crowded they get crazily busy too. Peanuts are roasted to perfection, wrapped up in conical wands of paper and are sold to people. Folks enjoying the beach breeze, the waves, the sunset, randomly walking along the beach, wetting their legs…they do all these while they munch on those freshly roasted peanuts. This has been a true bliss to most of the folks in my hometown…Such nostalgic days!!!
I’ve had peanut chicken a couple of times at the Thai restaurant and had been thinking of making it in my kitchen. The other day, my man came home with a huge bag of peanuts. Before he finished it, I rushed and tried peanut chicken which is made totally my way. It turned out really delicious and the aroma from this dish was so so marvelous.
Peanut Chicken
Ingredients
For grinding
- Peanuts, roasted and unsalted- 1 cup
- Water- 3/4 cup
For cooking:
- Oil- 1 1/2 tbsp
- Ginger, chopped thin and long- 2 inch slice
- Garlic, chopped small- 3 cloves
- Chicken breasts or thighs, diced- 3 breasts or 4 thighs
- Sambal Oelek or chili paste – 1 tsp
- Green Pepper, cubed thick- 1 large
- Soy sauce, low sodium- 3 tbsp
- Coconut milk, thin- 1 1/2 cups
- Green onions, chopped- 1 stalk
- Cilantro, chopped- 2 handful
- Ground pepper- for more spice if needed
- Salt- to taste
Instruction
- In a blender, grind the peanuts along with water into a smooth constituency, keep aside.
- Heat a wok over medium heat, add oil, let it turn hot.
- Add ginger and garlic, saute till aromatic and golden in color.
- Add chicken, combine well.
- Add sambal oelek, combine to the chicken.
- Cover the wok and cook till the chicken has almost cooked.
- Add green peppers and cook till it has turned just tender, don’t over cook it.
- Add the ground peanuts to the chicken, combine well.
- Add soy sauce and let cook for a few minutes.
- Now, add coconut milk and let come to a slight boil.
- If the sauce is too thick add little water to thin it down.
- Taste and add more salt if needed, add a few pinches of ground pepper or sambal oelek if you need it to be spicy.
- Add green onions and cilantro, combine well and cook for a few seconds.
- Remove the wok from the heat and keep covered for a few minutes.
- Serve with jasmin rice or plain rice or toss it with noodles.
Tips:
- Sambal Oelek is available in most Asian stores. It’s very spicy, so don’t add too much of it.
- Instead of green peppers you can add other veggies too.
- Peanuts, roasted and unsalted- 1 cup
- Water- ¾ cup
- Oil- 1½ tbsp
- Ginger, chopped thin and long- 2 inch slice
- Garlic, chopped small- 3 cloves
- Chicken breasts or thighs, diced- 3 breasts or 4 thighs
- Sambal Oelek or chili paste - 1 tsp
- Green Pepper, cubed thick- 1 large
- Soy sauce, low sodium- 3 tbsp
- Coconut milk, thin- 1½ cups
- Green onions, chopped- 1 stalk
- Cilantro, chopped- 2 handful
- Ground pepper- for more spice if needed
- Salt- to taste
- In a blender, grind the peanuts along with water into a smooth constituency, keep aside.
- Heat a wok over medium heat, add oil, let it turn hot.
- Add ginger and garlic, saute till aromatic and golden in color.
- Add chicken, combine well.
- Add sambal oelek, combine to the chicken.
- Cover the wok and cook till the chicken has almost cooked.
- Add green peppers and cook till it has turned just tender, don't over cook it.
- Add the ground peanuts to the chicken, combine well.
- Add soy sauce and let cook for a few minutes.
- Now, add coconut milk and let come to a slight boil.
- If the sauce is too thick add little water to thin it down.
- Taste and add more salt if needed, add a few pinches of ground pepper or sambal oelek if you need it to be spicy.
- Add green onions and cilantro, combine well and cook for a few seconds.
- Remove the wok from the heat and keep covered for a few minutes.
- Serve with jasmin rice or plain rice or toss it with noodles.
Instead of green peppers you can add other veggies too.
