Whatshot
KZN Classic Groundnut Chutney - KZN's answer to hummus
KZN Classic Groundnut Chutney - KZN's answer to hummus
Date: 2026-01-29
Ingredients
• 500 g raw groundnuts (in shell)
• Salt (for cooking and seasoning)
• 1-2 limes, juiced (to taste)
• 1 small garlic clove
• A handful of fresh mint leaves
• ? small red onion, finely chopped
• A handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1 fresh green chilli, finely chopped (optional, but encouraged)
• Freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Cook the groundnuts in their shells. Wash the groundnuts well. Place them in a pot, cover with water, add a generous pinch of salt and cook gently for about 45 minutes, until tender.
2. Cool and shell. Drain and allow the groundnuts to cool. Remove them from their shells - unhurried, hands-on, almost therapeutic.
3. Blend. Place the shelled groundnuts into a blender. Add lime juice, garlic and fresh mint. Blend briefly until coarse. This chutney should have texture - not silky, not smug.
4. Finish by hand. Spoon the mixture into a bowl. Fold through the red onion, coriander and chilli. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust the lime if needed - fresh and bright is the goal.
5. Chill. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. This is one of those dishes that settles into itself.
To serve
Best served chilled with warm roti and a cooling yoghurt raita. It also works beautifully as a spread, a dip, or spooned generously next to grilled vegetables.
Whether you call it a peanut or a groundnut, this small, unassuming legume has travelled the world quietly doing big things. It's fed families, flavoured stews, thickened sauces, and earned a permanent place in pantries across continents. In KwaZulu-Natal, it becomes something else entirely - fresh, fragrant, and deeply comforting.
Think of this as our local hummus. Familiar, but not trying to be Middle Eastern. Proudly KZN.
You start with raw groundnuts. Wash them well, then cook them gently in salted water for about 45 minutes, until tender but not falling apart. Drain, allow them to cool, and then comes the slow, meditative part - removing them from their shells. No rushing. This dish rewards patience.
Once shelled, add the cooked groundnuts to a blender with fresh lime juice, a clove of garlic, and a handful of fresh mint leaves. Blend briefly - this is not meant to be smooth and polite. Keep it coarse, textured, alive.
Transfer to a bowl and fold through finely chopped red onion, fresh coriander, and chopped green chilli. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Adjust the lime if needed - it should be bright, not sharp.
The first time I tasted this chutney was in Westbrook, at Logie Naidoo's home. His mother-in-law shared it without ceremony, the way the best recipes are shared - casually, generously, with love. I've been making it ever since.
If you love hummus and lean towards fresh, clean flavours, this one is for you. Serve it chilled, alongside warm roti and a cooling yoghurt raita. Simple food. Deeply rooted. Utterly moreish.
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