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Boiled groundnuts in the shell
Ẹ̀pà sísè: fresh groundnuts boiled in salted water, a rainy-season street snack
Freshly dug groundnuts appear in markets from Ibadan to Kano when the rains come, still muddy in their pale shells, and hawkers sell them boiled in salt water by the cupful, often next to roasted corn. Boiling turns the kernels soft and creamy, like a cooked bean, with salt seeping through the shell. They are eaten warm on the way home, cracked open with the thumbs. Using dried shop peanuts and boiling them for the same time is the usual mistake: they stay hard, so soak dried ones overnight and boil for 2–3 hours. Chef's tip: let them sit in the hot brine for 15 minutes after cooking, so the salt soaks in.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb fresh groundnuts in their shellsor raw dried in-shell peanuts, soaked overnight
- 2 tbsp salt
- 12 ½ cups water
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Wash 2 ¼ lb fresh groundnuts in their shells in several changes of water, rubbing them together, until the water runs clear and no soil remains. Discard any that are cracked open or mouldy.
8 minStep 2: Put them in a large pot with 12 ½ cups water and 2 tbsp salt. Lay a plate on top to keep them under the water.
2 minStep 3: Bring to the boil, then simmer, partly covered, for 40 minutes (2–3 hours for soaked dried nuts), until a kernel squeezed from its shell is soft right through, like a cooked bean.
40 minStep 4: Turn off the heat and leave them in the brine for 15 minutes. Drain and serve warm. Keep leftovers in the fridge and eat within 2 days.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does boiled groundnuts in the shell take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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