Those
who grew up before 1975 would remember -- life was so much simpler then. Color
television was then a rare luxury; in fact the majority of households didn’t
even own a ‘black-and-white’ television!
Much of
my childhood was spent in Chinatown. The hill where Kreta Ayer Theatre now
stands was the centre of activity for my neighborhood. Back then there was no
theatre; in its place, instead, were a small community centre and a crèche, and
a huge empty plot of land.
Come
nightfall, a professional storyteller – an old man -- would set up his stall,
which consisted of a small wooden box, a kerosene lamp, and 20 or so wooden
stools. Night after night on the hill, his voice would echo. He would narrate tales
from the Chinese classics – the cases of Justice Bao, the exploits of warriors
of The Three Kingdoms...
People
would drop him coins as a donation, or as rental for the stools, and these
would be his earnings. While the adults
listened to the stories, the youngsters would play on the nearby seesaw or the
community centre’s basketball court. The cool evening air would also draw out courting
couples and strollers to the open grounds.
Hawkers
would set up food stalls: ice kachang, fruits, drinks, and one particular snack
that I loved dearly -- steamed peanuts. This hawker would ride his
trishaw-cart, which held a huge basket of peanuts kept warm by a pot of simmering
water below it. Five cents would buy one a tiny paper bag full. The peanuts
would be too hot to handle, making splitting the shell open a challenge -- but
the reward would be soft, steaming, succulent peanuts!
Sadly,
this simple treat is not as ubiquitous as it once was, so I’ve decided to
recreate it, adding some spices to enliven it!
Since,
this is the eve of Lunar New Year 2013. I would like to wish everyone
花开福贵 ＊＊ 生意兴隆
Spicy Boiled Peanuts
Peanuts
(with husks) 1 kg
Cinnamon 2 sticks
Star
anise 2
Fennel
seeds ½ tsp
Sichuan
peppercorn 1 tsp
Salt 1 tbsp
Water 1½ litres
Method:
- Fry spices in a clean pan until it emits a
strong fragrance. Pour it into the water and boil.
- Add peanuts and simmer for 3 hours.
- Strain the peanuts and serve immediately.
- Peanuts taste best when it is warm; simply reheat
it in the microwave when it gets cold.
Note:
By using a pressure cooker, cooking time could be shortened to 30 minutes.
