Peanuts and coriander: An unforgettable pairing

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Put roasted peanuts and aromatic coriander together and you will get an explosion of flavours that will elevate both savoury and sweet dishes

 

When I think of champion flavour combinations, rum and banana, chocolate and raspberry, apple and cinnamon, pineapple and clove come to mind. On a recent trip to Taipei, I fell in love with another inseparable pair - coriander and peanuts.

 

It happened while I was noshing through Ningxia Night Market with my Taiwanese friend.

 

I would never have thought to pair the two, but the fresh, aromatic vibe of coriander leaves is beautiful with the toasty nuttiness of roasted peanuts; it was freshness and warmth in a friendly mingle.

 

The combination works for both savoury and sweet applications.

 

One of the best things I have ever eaten in my life - and that is saying a lot - is a simple street snack I had that night. It came together in a flash. The rather sullen vendor (her wares give so much joy, really) placed a sheet of popiah skin on her worktop, shaved a generous amount of peanut candy off a gigantic block and plonked the shavings onto the skin. Two little scoops of ice cream and a sprinkling of chopped coriander leaves followed before she rolled the skin up.

 

Biting into that cold, sweet popiah transported me from hot and beyond-humid Taipei straight to heaven.

 

Peanuts and coriander blanket savoury Taiwanese popiah too - the vendors there use much more of both than do the ones here. Another excellent snack I had was gua bao, essentially a kong bak pau but with very liberal doses of peanuts and coriander. Those two ingredients, plus chopped salted vegetables, complement the fatty soy-braised pork belly perfectly.

 

I wanted very much to like blood cake on a stick rolled in peanuts and coriander, but the glutinous rice cake was beyond stodgy and I just could not bring myself to.

 

Back home, I wondered how I would use that flavour combination in my own cooking.

 

Roasted sweet potatoes with a tahini dressing, covered with crushed peanuts and coriander, was one idea. I could also recreate the gua bao because there cannot be too much pork belly in my life.

 

But then I got to thinking about my too-indulgent holiday and was riddled with guilt.

 

I decided to come up with a healthier alternative - a noodle salad featuring lots of crunchy vegetables and shirataki noodles. The konjac noodles are pretty much pure fibre and have very few calories. Shredded chicken adds protein.

 

Given how virtuous all these ingredients are, I won't worry too much about the calories in the dressing or in the peanuts I sprinkle on top.

 

What I love about the salad dressing is that it is made with pantry ingredients. The base is creamy peanut butter. I like Pic's because it has only two ingredients - peanuts and salt, unless you get the unsalted version. Then I mix in rice vinegar, soya sauce, Shaoxing wine and sesame oil. If you do not have rice vinegar on hand, use black, cider, red wine, white wine or balsamic vinegar. Or lemon and lime juice.

 

No soya sauce? Use shoyu. No Shaoxing wine? Use sake or mirin or both.

 

To give it a bit of heat, I use my current favourite condiment, smoky, crispy chilli from a jar. I have also used Sriracha, sambal oelek and chilli and garlic sauce. At a pinch, any chilli sauce will do.

 

Ginger and garlic are the only non-negotiables for the dressing. Skip either and it won't taste quite right.

 

The salad is also customisable.

 

Don't like shirataki? Use Shanghai noodles, which don't clump up. Or use any noodle you like. Or just go with vegetables and chicken. I like shirataki for the fibre.

 

The vegetables can be anything lurking in the fridge. Cucumber, radishes, green beans, yam bean, blanched soya beansprouts or snow peas work well. Strips of Granny Smith apple will, too, but toss them in lemon juice first to prevent browning.

 

I like uncooked sugar snaps because they, well, snap. Purple cabbage and carrot give a jolt of colour. I also find those mini red, orange and yellow bell peppers very useful in salads and stir-fries.

 

Chicken is the easiest option for protein but prawns, strips of ham and leftover steak will work too. So will strips of omelette.

 

On weekends, when I do meal and snack preps for the week, I make a batch of the salad and rest easy knowing there is always something savoury to snack on or to pack for lunch.

 

Then, on a whim, because I really wanted to recreate that sweet popiah, I decided to engineer a peanut-coriander dessert.

 

I slapped some slices of pineapple on a non-stick pan and cooked them until they became charred in parts. Then I piled coconut ice cream, crushed peanuts and chopped coriander on top.

 

Decorum flew out of the window and I ate it standing up in the kitchen.

 

Juicy, charred pineapple is so delicious with the coriander and peanuts. The coconut ice cream just takes everything to the next level.

 

So make the salad because you want to be virtuous, and make the dessert because too much virtue is dreadfully dull.

 

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PEANUT-CORIANDER NOODLE SALAD

INGREDIENTS

 

For the dressing

• 75g creamy peanut butter
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 Tbs soya sauce
• 1 Tbs rice vinegar
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 30g ginger, grated
• Crispy chilli, chilli and garlic sauce, sambal oelek or chilli oil to taste

 

For the salad

• Two 200g packs shirataki noodles
• 50g roasted peanuts
• 1 small carrot, 100g to 120g
• 100g purple cabbage
• 2 red mini bell peppers
• 10 to 12 sugar snap peas
• 2 to 3 sprigs coriander, cut into 3cm lengths
• Shredded meat from two cooked chicken thighs
• Coriander leaves for garnish

 

METHOD

 

1. Measure the ingredients for the dressing into a medium bowl and whisk together. Add enough water to make it the consistency of pancake batter. Have a taste and adjust the seasonings. You might need more soya sauce. Set aside.

 

2. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add the shirataki noodles and boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and drip dry in a colander.

 

3. Place the roasted peanuts in a resealable bag, seal it and crush the nuts with a meat mallet or rolling pin. Or pulse the peanuts in a food processor until roughly chopped. Set aside.

 

4. Peel the carrot, cut into slices on the diagonal and slice into matchsticks. Shred the purple cabbage. Cut the bell peppers into matchsticks. Remove the string from the snap peas and slice thinly on the diagonal. Place the vegetables in a large salad bowl, together with the drained shirataki noodles, coriander leaves and shredded chicken.

 

5. Spoon half the dressing into the bowl and toss well with fork and spoon. Add more dressing if the salad seems dry. Leftover dressing can be refrigerated for up to three days, and is delicious used as a dip for fresh radishes and cucumber.

 

6. Transfer the salad onto a serving platter, blanket with crushed peanuts and top with coriander leaves. Serve.

 

Serves two as a main dish, four as a side dish

 

PEANUT-CORIANDER SUNDAE
 

INGREDIENTS

 

• Four fresh pineapple rings
• Four scoops coconut ice cream
• 50g crushed peanuts
• 2 sprigs coriander, chopped

 

METHOD

 

1. Place the pineapple rings on a non-stick pan or griddle set over medium heat. Cook each side for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until the fruit is charred in parts.

 

2. Set the pineapple on individual bowls. Top with ice cream, peanuts and coriander. Serve immediately.

 

Serves four

 

Source: The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reproduced with permission.

 

 

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