Roasted Nuts

I have this big tin of roasted peanuts on my kitchen countertop. Since I buy it wholesale it costs me much lesser than even smaller quantity would cost. I did not start this about cost though. I wanted to share how much I use nuts in my cooking. YES. If anyone had thought I sat and ate all these nuts .. what are you nuts??!! I initially bought these nuts to use in my Tamarind Rice. I truly believe these are very essential to that particular rice dish. slowly it progressed to coconut rice and vangi bath. Oh even to bisibhela bhath. My father even kidded that since its right there on the countertop I am developing this habit of dropping it into everything in sight. Wait till you hear where else it went next?!!!
Into my Chutneys !! One day I was making coconut chutney and ran out of the pottu kadalai that i normally use. So in went my dear roasted nuts. And oh my everyone RAVED about it so that became a standard for ALL chutneys. Can you believe that !! I am sure such wonders existed for many years but I accidently discovered on my own and so my pride and puffed out self or puffed up self. (No wonder i have a weight issue)!!!
Now the wonderful nuts are travelling to my Italian cooking and Thai cooking !! Ofcourse sometimes I roast them in the oven or blend them with olive oil and basil to make a pesto to my Italian cookings. But I love the flavor and texture these nuts provide.
Many thai dishes do use peanuts so this is no new invention. But I just went about this my way so I feel like sharing this with all. Blended nuts either peanuts or pinenuts with corainder too makes a good and different pesto..
I sometimes stretch these to other NUTS too!! can be roasted in oven, can be had with onions and chillies, can be broken in blender to add to Thai food..The aroma of nuts being roasted in the oven is heavenly..Just takes a few minutes but really brings the flavors out. I almost always work with unsalted nuts only..really dont think we need that extra salt.
Yesterday I did a new turn to my nuts INCLUSIVE recipes..I was making a tomato patchadi and came out good except i was a little too watery for my taste. So in went my nuts into a blender and made them into coarse powder to add to watery patchadi and VOILA it became a thickening agent and added the required consistency and OMG the taste.. unbelievable..again the great cooks here must know all these trade secrets but its just so much fun to experiment and discover and share..
Now have gone as far to make a sandwich spread with just these roasted nuts, corainder or pudina and pinch of salt..yummoh!!!!!
And the best use of all may I say is you can POP a few into your mouth in the midst of all these experiments !!!!!!! What better use of NUTS?

 

Will give this a try too Sundari..very nice idea..can go with so many different items..glad you didnt think I was NUTS to write about NUTS !!

 

The mixed nuts with chopped onions, chillies, lime etc is an all time favorite with hubby dear.. Thanks for being nutty with me Chithra..no wonder they sell all those big tins full of nuts..

 

Peanut butter .oh the possibilities..thanks for bringing it up dear Saraswathi..It is also a very essential ingredient in my Thai cooking..If you have ever tried the peanut butter dipping sauce?? I agree cannot make tamarind rice if stock of nuts is low..but then again when is it ever low..I usually forget more important ingredients but never forget to stock up on nuts..

 

The Other half?? nice way of saying in the other 50 percent of family members..ROFL..v.v.good..so you are nutty as well. I have to agree that it is high in calories though i temporarily forget about it..Do try them sprinklled in top of salads or pachadi or any rice item coarsely chopped better..do make chutneys with them..these days my basic coconut chutney has more nuts assorted bell pepper than even coconut..