Peanut Powder
When I was growing up, my grandmother would make a spiced peanut powder, which I could eat as a side dish to dosa or idli, or more likely, just by itself. Considering that companies like PB2 make something similar, I thought about how hard can it be to make some at home.
Turns out that PB2 powdered peanut butter is really just peanuts which have had the oil extracted from them, so it just doesn’t have that same flavor. I figured, why extract the oil, and then add more when eating it? It just doesn’t make sense. I make it just like you’d make peanut butter at home, except that I don’t make it into a smooth paste, but just a coarse powder.
Here’s what you need to make this delicious peanut powder:
- 1 lb raw shelled peanuts (skinned or not, doesn’t matter)
- Red chili flakes to taste
- Salt to taste
- Brown sugar to taste
Start off by preheating the oven to 350° F. Place the peanuts on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 15-20 minutes, rotating the sheet once during the roasting process.
Allow the peanuts to cool, then skin them (if you’re using unskinned peanuts) and add them to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 10-20 times, until you get a coarse powder and no large peanut chunks remain. Do not run the food processor continuously, or you’ll get peanut butter.
Add salt, sugar and red chili flakes to taste, and pulse briefly to combine. Store in a cool dry place, preferably in the fridge.