Braised Peanuts 卤花生

I have dinner gatherings in Chinese restaurants pretty often. Often, these restaurants would serve a meager plate of braised peanuts as a snack before dinner is served. And often, it gets polished off in no time. Maybe it is the hunger before dinner, maybe it is just plain delicious, but it seemed braised peanuts are one very well received snack.

It is not a norm in my family to have a snack or side like this. It just struck me to do something different today and this came to mind. It is a very easy recipe. It is a very versatile recipe. It involves dumping everything into a pot and then cooked in slow fire. You could use a slow cooker, a pressure cooker or even just a pot on a stove. The cooking time would vary according to method used.

I braised mine overnight in my slow cooker. The result is some awesome puffed-up peanuts that are extra soft to the bite. And you know something? It costed just a fraction of those rip-off restaurant peanuts. I am not saying you shouldn't have any in the restaurants (they charge you anyway), but if you really like braised peanuts, make it in a big batch and keep it in your fridge for gradual consumption. The flavourful leftover braising liquid could be used for seasoning, marinade or sauce as well. I just add a little of the delicious liquid in my boy's rice and he would polish off the rice without fuss. Life couldn't be easier.

Braised Peanuts 卤花生

Ingredients

200 g peanuts, soaked for 2-3 hours
Ginger, a few slices
3 cloves garlic
1 cinnamon bark
2 star anise
5 cloves
1 1/2 cup water

Seasoning

1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp light soya sauce
1 tsp dark soya sauce
1/2 tsp salt


Cooking Instruction

1. Wash and strain soaked peanuts.

2. Add all ingredients and seasoning into a slow cooker. You could put the spices into a spice bag for easier removal. Make sure the water covers all the peanuts.

3. Cook peanuts on "auto" overnight or until the peanuts reaches your desired softness.

4. Remove and serve as side or use for cooking with other dishes.



Check out my other braise recipe here:

Braised Spare Ribs with Fermented Bean Paste (Tauchu) 豆酱炆排骨

Braised Beef Brisket with Daikon Radish 焖牛腩