Mani: Garlic roasted peanuts

If you've ever been to the Philippines, you've seen {and smelled} this tasty street food. Vendors camp out on busy streets, in bus terminals, and wherever people gather, to sell this salty treat. 

Luckily, this delicious snack is easy to make at home and is done with four ingredients: peanuts, oil, garlic cloves, and salt.

You can buy a bag of these peanuts with their skin on at most Asian or international markets. A bag this size is typically under $2. 

Take a wok or a cast iron skillet or pot and heat about a cup of oil. Careful not to let it smoke. When oil is hot, add 3-5 crushed cloves of garlic. If you love garlic, have at it. Don't mince it, as it will burn faster. The point is to let the garlic season the oil, so add as much or as little as you like.

Once garlic is brown and toasty, add the peanuts. It really is a matter of seconds from brown to burnt garlic, so don't leave it unattended. You don't want bitter oil.

The peanuts really don't take too long to cook. 5-10 minutes of stirring should be plenty. The peanuts will darken a little in color, but don't wait for them to get too brown before you take them out, as they will continue to cook once you take them out of the oil.

Scoop the peanuts and garlic out of the oil and strain through a sieve to let the oil drain out. Sprinkle salt {and pepper, if you choose} to taste. Some people add a dash of sugar to cut the salt--totally up to you. 

And as much as you want to grab a handful before they've cooled down a bit, them cool to warm {rather than scalding}, lest you want to burn your tongue and mouth. Consider yourself warned. Serve warm, or store in airtight container.

For those who don’t want to fry, you can bake these in the oven. Coat in olive oil, then put on a baking sheet.