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Thiaf
Caramelised peanuts
Thiaf: Dakar's pan-roasted peanuts with a crunchy caramel coat, sold in paper cones
In Dakar, thiaf sellers sit beside big blackened pans of hot sand outside Sandaga market, near Place de l'Indépendance and on the quay for the Gorée ferry, stirring peanuts through the sand until they roast evenly. Some are sold plain and salted; the sweet ones, thiaf sucré, are tumbled in boiling sugar until they wear a crunchy, glassy shell. This home version dry-roasts the nuts in a heavy pan instead of sand, then caramelises them with a pinch of salt. It is an afternoon snack bought in a twist of paper and nibbled on the walk home. It contains peanuts, and whole nuts are a choking risk for children under five. Chef's tip: keep stirring after the sugar turns sandy; a few minutes more melts it into glossy amber patches.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz raw shelled peanuts
- 3 ½ oz white sugar
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- 1 tsp neutral oilfor the tray
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Brush a baking tray with 1 tsp neutral oil and keep it next to the stove.
1 minStep 2: Put 10 ½ oz raw shelled peanuts in a heavy, wide frying pan over a medium heat and dry-roast for 8–10 minutes, stirring all the time. They are done when the skins crack and start to slip and a nut snapped in half is pale gold inside.
9 minStep 3: Add 3 ½ oz white sugar, ¼ cup water and ¼ tsp fine salt and keep stirring as the syrup bubbles. After about 3 minutes the water evaporates and the sugar turns white and sandy around the nuts.
3 minStep 4: Lower the heat and keep stirring for 2–3 minutes more, until part of the sugar melts into shiny amber patches and the peanuts smell of caramel; stir in ½ tsp vanilla extract if using. Common mistake: turning the heat up to hurry it; the caramel burns bitter in seconds.
3 minStep 5: Tip onto the oiled tray at once and pull the nuts apart with two forks. Do not touch them with your fingers; molten sugar burns badly.
1 minStep 6: Leave for 10 minutes to cool and harden. Serve in paper cones, or keep in an airtight jar for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 19 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does thiaf take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 15 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.
- What can I use instead of white sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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