U for Ukadlelya Shenga (Boiled Peanuts)

This is certainly a strange choice of a ‘recipe’ but if you’re looking for a snack that brings the family together and away from their devices, this one is hard to beat. All the cooking it involves is boiling peanuts in their shells, in salted water.

We used to gather around our dining table, on a Sunday afternoon, over a large pot of these ‘shenga’ (pods) and talk about everything under the sun. You knew that everyone was enjoying them when the table went silent and all you could hear was the cracking of the pods, muted munching and see happy, dreamy smiles and the pile of ‘shenga’ rapidly dimishing.

Move over, fancy salted edamame! We have had boiled peanuts long before you appeared on restaurant menus.

Ukadlelya shenga aka Boiled Peanuts

Ingredients:

300 grams of raw peanuts in their pods

1 large pot of water

1 heaped tablespoon salt

Method:

1. Heat the pot of water.
2. Add the salt before it starts boiling.
3. Throw in the peanut pods. Make sure the pods are all submerged in the water.
4. Cook for about 30-35 minutes or until done. (Test one after 25 minutes. If the peanuts taste cooked, take them off the heat.)
5. Serve warm. (Don’t forget empty bowls to chuck the pods into.)

Enjoy the peace and quiet at the table and watch this become a favourite family ritual.

Do you have foods that bring your family together?

Fun fact:

Did you know that spiced peanuts are called Congress Kadlekai (kadlekai – peanuts, in Kannada) in Karnataka? Apparently, this is to do with the split of the Congress party into two, in the late 70s. Since peanuts also split into two, they were called Congress and this has remained a popular moniker. It used to make me smile to hear the street sellers peddling their wares – ‘congress’ kadlekai . 🙂