“I’ve always associated boiled peanuts with road trips,” says Vivek Surti, the chef at Tailor in Nashville, No. 7 on 2019’s Hot Ten list. “I ate cajun-spiced ones from gas stations in the South and my grandma’s version for the five-hour ride from the airport to her home in Gujarat. It’s a snack that exists in America and in India. Here I toss them in chile and coriander, which is very Indian, but it reminds me of those Cajun peanuts.” While fresh, shell-on peanuts are available only at harvest time and are hard to find, unroasted, shell-on peanuts work just as well and can be found in supermarkets and online.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about 4 cups
Ingredients
4
4
2
1
1½
Preparation
Step 1
Combine peanuts, kosher salt, and 1 Tbsp. coriander seeds in a medium saucepan. Pour in water to cover and stir to combine. Let peanuts sit in brine, stirring here and there, 3 hours.
Step 2
Bring peanut mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, partially cover pan, and simmer, adding more water as needed to keep peanuts covered, until peanuts are tender with no crunch left at all, 2 hours if fresh, 4–4½ hours if raw. Drain; let cool.
Step 3
Meanwhile, lightly crush remaining 1 Tbsp. coriander seeds with a mortar and pestle (or gather on a cutting board and crush with a skillet). Mix in a small bowl with sea salt and chile powder.
Step 4
Transfer peanuts to a bowl and toss with about three-fourths of spice mixture. Serve peanuts with remaining spice mixture alongside for sprinkling over.