July 9, 2011: Peanut Rice Chips

our Easter holiday I picked upwards a heavily discounted re-create of Indonesian Food yesteryear Sri Owen. It was a keen buy, good timed. Our days yesteryear the beach were largely rained out so I had plenty of hours to browse the gorgeous glossy photos in addition to read the text from forepart to back. Owen links the recipes in addition to ingredients to the diverse phases of her life in addition to a fiddling of the local history in addition to customs, from cooking alongside her grandmother every bit a nipper through to street snacks, the dishes of her pupil days, travelling all over (and eating in addition to making H2O ice cream!), setting upwards her ain store inwards London, writing majority afterward majority in addition to modernising the recipes of Central Java.

There are a few vegetarian recipes scattered throughout (Indonesia is the dwelling of tempeh afterward all!) in addition to at that spot are plenty to a greater extent than that I'm determined to arrange - the spice mixes are only every bit good irresistible. (And did I refer the H2O ice cream? Ahem.) The starting fourth dimension recipe I've tried out is laid upwards to become as-is: vegan in addition to gluten free, straight up. Rempeyek kacang had me hooked the minute I read Owen's translated name: savoury peanut brittle. I wasn't fifty-fifty perturbed yesteryear the prospect of deep-frying.

This is essentially a sparse batter made from rice flour, dotted alongside peanuts, in addition to shallow-fried starting fourth dimension into pocket-size rounds. Then the rounds instruct deep-fried for extra crispiness in addition to deeper flavour. I had problem getting the peanuts to stick inside the batter (hence the free-floating ones inwards the painting demonstrate above) - they only clumped inwards the centre acre the batter stretched out across the pan, in addition to then cruel off the dough every bit I transferred it to a plate. The reference painting demonstrate was ruthlessly cropped in addition to I wasn't quite certain what these were supposed to await similar or if they were going to instruct crispy enough. There were totally crispy enough... only non containing many peanuts. Imperfect but delightful!

Next fourth dimension I mean value I'll endeavour spooning out the batter to fry in addition to and then spreading the peanuts on top, instead of mixing them guide into the batter. I powerfulness also endeavour doubling the garlic. Owen notes that rempeyek kacang tin accept chopped chilli, garlic, chives, crushed peppercorns or shredded kaffir lime leaves stirred into the batter. The latter is going into my adjacent batch for sure.

Peanut rice chips
(adapted slightly from the recipe for rempeyek kacang inwards Indonesian nutrient yesteryear Sri Owen)

two macadamia nuts
1 clove garlic (I'll double this adjacent time)
two teaspoons terra firma coriander
1 teaspoon salt, summation extra
100g rice flour
optional: chopped chilli, garlic, chives, crushed peppercorns or shredded kaffir lime leaves
100g peanuts
200ml water
peanut crude

Mush together the macadamias in addition to garlic inwards a mortar in addition to pestle to brand a paste. Put them inwards a bowl in addition to blend inwards the coriander in addition to salt. Mix inwards the rice flour, in addition to then whisk inwards the water. Add whatever optional flavours you lot want. Sprinkle inwards the peanuts in addition to stir them through the batter (or don't nonetheless - leaving them to the dry-fry stage adjacent time).

Heat a tablespoon of crude inwards a non-stick frypan in addition to accept a plate lined alongside absorbent newspaper at the ready. Drop tablespoons of the batter into the hot pan in addition to fry them for 1-2 minutes, in addition to then residue the fried discs on the paper-lined plate. (Next fourth dimension I volition endeavour sprinkling the peanuts guide onto the frying batter discs earlier they set.)

When all the batter is cooked, transfer whatever remaining crude to a saucepan or wok; add together to a greater extent than so that you lot tin deep-fry in addition to oestrus it all up. Line about other plate alongside absorbent paper. Deep-fry a few discs at a fourth dimension until they're golden in addition to crisp, transferring them to the novel plate to cool.

When you're laid upwards to snack, transfer the chips to a bowl in addition to sprinkle them alongside a fiddling to a greater extent than salt. Store whatever leftovers inwards an airtight container.