KITCHEN REVIEW

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NUTS, SEEDS AND BEAN CURDS IN THE KITCHEN - PEANUTS

The culinary uses, preparation and cooking techniques & storage of peanuts

PEANUTS

|  Chinese : Huasheng Mi  |

It is also known as groundnuts or monkey nuts and are thought to have originated in South America, and were introduced into Asia in the 16th century and today, peanuts are an important world crop, being rich in oil (40 - 50 per cent) and protein (approx 30 per cent).

 aroma & flavor..

Raw peanuts do not have much of a smell, but once cooked - usually roasted - they have a powerful, unmistakable aroma, a crunchy texture and a distinctive flavor.

 culinary uses..

Peanuts play an important role in Asian cuisine. The smaller ones are used for making oil, while the larger, less oily nuts are commonly consumed, both as snack food and as ingredients in salads and main courses. In Indonesian and Malaysian cooking, roasted peanuts, pounded into paste, are the basis for satay sauce as well as for a salad dressing in the classic gado-gado salad.

 preparation & cooking techniques..

Officially, peanut is NOT a nut, but a legume. Its outer shell is the dried fibrous pod of the plant, and contains the seeds or "nuts", which in turn are coated with a thin layer of reddish skin. The skin has to be removed before the nut can be used as a food, and the easiest way to do that is to roast or fry the peanuts. When it is cool enough to handle, rub off the brittle skins with your fingers. When the nuts are processed commercially, a fan is used for winnowing, or the nuts are left outside to allow the wind to do the job.

 storage..

Raw peanuts in their shells will keep for many months if stored properly. Shelled peanuts will only keep for seven to ten days, even if stored in an airtight container.

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