Peanut Butter

Hello. How are all of you doing? Hope all of you are hale and hearty, following the lockdown strictly and staying at home. What about supplies? Are you getting all that you need? Coz I know we are not getting everything that we want, so stick to things that are a definite requirement. A lot of things that we have become used to and have started taking for granted, have vanished from the shelves of shops and supermarkets (actually from their delivery platforms). So we are stuck with their thoughts in our mind and a gradually fading taste in our mouth. One such thing is Peanut Butter. I personally love it and was quite disheartened the day that I scooped out the last spoon from the jar. I did not want it to end and so I ditched the spoon (after wiping it clean, of course), and dived in with my fingers trying to get each and every drop out of it. At the end of all the licking, I was left with my hand stuck inside the empty jar, longing for more when there was none left.

The same night we were compiling a list of rations that needed to be ordered from the grocer. Peanut Butter was almost the first thing on the list, as far as I was concerned. I knew it was a long shot but its always better to take a chance than to regret later. {Wow! So much for a can of Peanut Butter, you would say.} And to my surprise and joy, there it was, on the App, the bottle staring up at me, the caption reading – Peanut Butter – Crunchy. That was it, like a greedy pig I ordered One, but was that enough? What if I don’t get it again before the lockdown ends? So it was increased to Two, a greedier pig, I suppose. The delivery was scheduled for a couple of days later and I could not wait to get my hands on the jar, but to my dismay, it never came. As all of you might know that we are not getting everything that is ordered nowadays, it was not in the consignment received. I was devastated (well now I am just overstating things. A little too dramatic maybe). 

A couple of days went by and I was craving for Peanut Butter again. And then it hit me in the head. Am I a Chef or not? Can’t I whip myself a jar of Peanut Butter? Is it that difficult a thing to make? I can atleast give it a try. How bad can it be? It will have peanuts, right. As long as peanuts are there, I will happily have it. So I did my research and picked up a Jar of shelled peanuts, determined to satiate my need for the Butter. After about 25 minutes in the kitchen, it was ready. (Not the crunchy, but creamy this time as there is one additional step that I skipped, as this was my first trial). And I was not disappointed. It was as good as store bought, slightly runny though, but it was hot at that time, just out of the mixer after blending for quite some time. The consistency improved once kept in the refrigerator. And Voila! I had successfully made myself Peanut Butter. It was an elating moment. (Oh the drama of it all! Can you believe it?)

 So now I thought you guys might also be struggling to get it. You might also be at that place where the craving would be getting out of hand. Looking at that empty jar staring right back at you from the kitchen drawer or the cabinet. (We do keep our jars to store other things, right? That’s the Indian way.) Hence, this Post. To put your craving at rest and provide you with that spoonful of happiness. May you enjoy the creamy, or the crunchy, goodness of Peanut Butter.

Ingredients:

Shelled Peanuts (Unsalted) – 2 Cups

Honey – 1 Tbsp

Oil – As required (can be substituted with melted butter)

A pinch of salt (do not add if making with butter)

Method:

1. Roast the peanuts and remove the skins.

2. In a food processor or a mixer grinder, start blending the peanuts. Once you get to a powdered form, add salt and honey.

3. Keep blending. It will start to come together as the peanuts start leaving their oil. 

4. Add Oil as required to aid the mixture to get the desired thickness. You can keep it runny or have a thick base as per your choice. 

5. Once blended properly, remove from the jar and transfer to a dry bottle. 

6. For the crunchy variant, add a some crushed roasted peanuts to the butter.

P.S. – You can make different nut butters using the same process. Like Almond or Cashew. Try them separately or combinations.