What is raw peanuts, kachi mungfali, kachi moongfali?

Peanuts in North Indian Cuisine , Guj and Maharashtra in West

Gujarati cuisine uses groundnut or peanut abundantly, right from the roadside snack Dabeli to the Gujarati Dal. In Maharashtra, it goes hand-in-hand with another favourite ingredient, sabudana. 

Peanut is also commonly used in Maharashtra to temper breakfast dishes like Upma and kanda poha. A good dose of roasted peanut is also added to Chivda to make it appealing to all. Groundnut also teams up with jaggery to make interesting sweet dishes.

Peanut is also commonly used in Maharashtra to temper breakfast dishes like Upma and kanda poha. A good dose of roasted peanut is also added to Chivda to make it appealing to all. 

Peanuts used to make chikki 

Groundnut also teams up with jaggery to make interesting sweet dishes. Not to forget the peanut chikki or crushed peanut chikki  that is so popular in Maharashtra! 

Main course dishes like Baghara Tamatar and the Punjabi Bharwan Baingan are also incomplete without peanuts. 

" Sprinkle peanuts onto tossed salads.
" Peanuts can be eaten raw, roasted or steamed.
" They are often inculcated in sweets, chocolates, candies.
" Groundnut flour is often used for people who want to gain weight and for its high nutritive value.
" A very basic ingredient added to make chutneys.
" Often used to thicken the vegetable curries or soup.
" Peanut Butter makes delicious spreads on breads, waffles, toasts, crackers, apple slices, celery or carrot. You can spread it plain or also flavour it with the choice of your spice. You can also stir in raisin and honey. It can also used for dressing salad.
" Add peanuts to healthy sautéed chicken and vegetables.
" Make a simple salad by combining sliced green cabbage, grated ginger, Serrano chilies and peanuts. Toss with olive oil-tamarind dressing.
" Try peanut butter and banana, peanut butter and honey, or peanut butter and chopped apple, pear and/or raisins.

How to store raw peanuts, kachi mungfali, kachi moongfali

Shelled peanuts should be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer since excess exposure to heat; humidity or light will cause them to become rancid. Shelled peanuts will keep in the refrigerator for about three months and in the freezer for up to six months. They should not be chopped prior to storage, only right before eating or using in a recipe. Peanuts still in their shells can be kept in a cool, dry dark place, but keeping them in the refrigerator will extend their shelf life to about nine months.

Nutritional Information of raw peanuts, kachi mungfali, kachi moongfali
28 grams of Peanuts.
RDA stands for Recommended Daily Allowance.
Nutritional Information for 28 grams ( 1 ounce) of Peanuts.


158 Calories
7.36 grams of Protein
7.28 grams of Carbs
11.2 grams of Fat


5.57 mg of Vitamin B3, Niacin = 46.43% of RDA (about 12 mg)

See here for full nutritional information of Peanuts.

Health benefits of raw peanuts, kachi mungfali, kachi moongfali

 
1. Good for Brain : B vitamins are said to be good for Brain health and Peanuts have Riboflavin, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B1, Thiamine , Vitamin B3, Niacin , Folate, Vitamin B9 .

2. Protects your Heart : Eating a handful of Peanuts a day is said to increase the good cholesterol (HDL) in your body. HDL helps remove bad fats from the blood. In general, walnuts, cashew nuts, peanuts, almonds, pistachios and pine nuts are a healthy snack to carry keep with you as they are rich in monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Perfect to eat a mix of them or try different nuts each day to protect your Heart .

3. Breast Cancer : Studies show that Almonds, Peanuts and Walnuts consumption reduced the risk of Breast Cancer.

4. Good Proteins for Vegetarians : A handful of peanuts gives you 7.3 grams of Protein. So its easy to carry your proteins with you when you are on the go.

5. Reduces Cardiovascular Diseases and Cancer : Peanuts and Grapes have the antioxidant Resveratrol which could helps in reducing Heart and Cancer diseases.

6. Fights Inflammation : Peanuts contain healthy fats from Oleic Acid which is the same good fat found in Olive Oil. These fats fight free radicals and inflammation of the cells which you get from junk food and external toxins.

7. Good for Skin: Peanuts is rich in Vitamin B3, Niacin which helps in healthy skin formation and thus preventing wrinkles and skin diseases

8. Diabetic friendly : Peanuts, Almonds, Walnuts and Cashews are rich in Protein and healthy monounsaturated fats which wont spike your blood sugar levels. They are a healthy snack for Diabetics and good to carry a handful with you when you are travelling.

9. Healthy Bone Structure : Peanuts are rich in Manganese and assists the body in maintaining healthy bone structure by helping in making enzymes needed to build strong bones. Peanuts are also rich in Phosphorus which helps build bones.

10. Blood Clotting : Peanuts are rich in Manganese which plays key a role in blood clotting.

11. Provides Energy : Peanuts have good fats which give you more energy and keep you full for a longer time. They contain Vitamin B1, Thiamine which helps form ATP (adenosine triphosphate) which body uses for energy. Also they help the body form more red blood cells which is the base for energy and keeps fatigue at bay.

Health Information of other Nuts:
8 health Benefits of Almonds
11 health Benefits of Walnuts
11 health Benefits of Cashew Nuts

Glycemic Index of Peanuts
Peanuts has a Glycemic Index of 14 which is low. Glycemic Index are for foods you eat, ranks carbohydrate-containing foods by how quickly they digest and raise your blood sugar or glucose levels. Foods rank from 0 to 50 are low GI, 51 to 69 are medium and 70 to 100 are high. Foods that are high in GI are not suitable for weight loss and diabetics. Foods like Peanuts have a low GI and hence don't spike your glucose level as they are absorbed slowly. Great for weight loss and Diabetics.

Boiled Peanuts are relished on their own, hot, warm or cold - as per one's choice. To boil them, first wash them thoroughly in cold water until water runs clear; then in a large pot, place the peanuts and cover completely with water. Add salt to taste. Cook it with a lid on it. Remove from heat and drain peanuts after cooking or they will absorb salt and become over salted. The cooking time of boiled peanuts varies according to the maturity of the peanuts used and the variety of peanuts. Peanuts may be eaten hot or at room temperature, or chilled in the refrigerator and eaten cold.

Peanuts can be peeled or unpeeled, as desired. Take a sharp knife, slice it from the top to remove the stem and then cut it into half from the centre. Cut the half portion into another half and remove the seeds from centre. Chop ingredients by cutting them in small pieces approximately ¼ inch in diameter, although the chopped food doesn't need to be exactly the same size. If the recipe calls for the ingredients to be "coarsely chopped," make the pieces slightly larger.

Peanuts can be crushed finely or coarsely, as per one's preference. To crush them, add it to the grinder and grind till required texture is attained. These are handy to enhance the taste of gravy vegetable and also Peanut chilli can be made out of the same.

In a pan, heat oil as required. Lower the heat and add peanuts. Stir-fry constantly for at least 5-6 minutes. Fry peanuts with a quick to-and-fro motion until they begin to blister and turn brown. Test by tasting one peanut to make sure that the peanuts are not still raw inside. Drain the excess oil and remove from the pan and allow it to cool. Add it to any farsan, chivda or as preferred.

Roasting enhances the flavour of the peanuts. Hence, to roast add few peanuts to pan. Stir it frequently on a medium flame. Roast till light brown and allow it to cool. Take care that it does not burn. To crush them, shell them and add it to the grinder and grind till required texture is attained. It could be finely or coarsely crushed.

Clean and dry roast the peanuts in a pan till they turn crisp and the turn slightly golden brown in colour. Take care not to over roast them as it can burn the peanuts. Cool, shell them and crush using a rolling pin or you can also blend them in a mixer into a coarse mixture. Use as required.

Clean and dry roast the peanuts in a pan till they turn crisp and the turn slightly golden brown in colour. Take care not to over roast them as it can burn the peanuts. Cool and take a few peanuts in hand and applying little pressure rub them between your palms to remove the skin. While doing so they will consequently break into halves. Once all the peanuts have been de-skinned, place them in a flat plate and toss the plate so as to separate the skin and the peanut halves. Finally discard the skin.

Roasting enhances the flavour of the peanuts. Hence, to roast add few peanuts to pan. Stir it frequently on a medium flame. Roast till light brown and allow it to cool. Take care that it does not burn. Cool slightly and use as per the recipe or remove and discard the skin before using them.