My favorite season of the year is zhizha(rain season). It runs from November to April in Zimbabwe. When the rains have been good, everything is green and fresh produce is in abundance. Fresh mealies, peanuts, ipwa and round-nuts are some of my favourite foods.
Going to visit my grand parents during the April holidays was the best for me. I remember that sometimes coming from church we would not go home straight but go straight into the fields were the melons would have been pre-gathered the previous day. Without any utensils we would break the melons open and eat with our hands. I remember the juices being so sweet and cool running all over my arms and face. Good times! I wish to live like that again.
As with most Zimbabwean cooking, most of the produce produced during zhizha is simply boiled or roasted. As simplistic as this sounds, it really is delicious.
While I am here in Bermuda there is no way of getting any of this fresh produce. The closest I can get is fresh corn which is nowhere near the fresh maize we get in Zimbabwe. To get fresh peanuts, I have to soak the dry nuts I get from the supermarket overnight.
I boil the soaked peanuts in salted water until they become tender.
Enjoy your boiled peanuts as snack or breakfast with a cup of hot tea.
Boiled Peanuts
Ingredients
- Peanuts in shells
- Salt
Instructions
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If using dry peanuts, soak them overnight.
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Add water and salt to peanuts in a pot and bring to boil. You will need to keep adding more water depending on the size of your pot.
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Cook until the peanuts are tender about 1-2 hours.
