Roasted Chestnuts

I was away from blogging for a week now, but it sure does feel like a long time. Friends visit and an unexpected jaunt are to be blamed at. I did miss participating in few events, but I hope to make up for it with regular posts hereafter.

I have never laid hands on chestnuts so far. But I have longingly looked at Indira devouring them year after year. This year I was lucky to find them at Whole Foods. They were $8 a pound. Ah, what the heck. All in the name of blogging.

I roasted them like I did jackfruit seeds. But you will have to mark an ‘x’ at the top of the nut, helping steam to escape while roasting. Slowly roast ‘em on a cast iron pan, until the outer layer is dark brown in colour. The shell gently opens like a flower, as they heat through. Let it cool down a bit and enjoy ‘em while they are still warm. I was pleasantly surprised that they tasted more like jackfruit seeds, but moist and subtly sweet. The flesh was smooth and soft.

I hope to find more of ‘em throughout this winter and I would be glad to find out any recipes using chestnuts. I should thank Indira for alluring me toward these humble, yet delicious nuts, which, otherwise, would not have drawn my attention with their unassuming looks. I hope you would pay a second look next time you find ‘em at your grocery store or when a roadside vendor is roasting ‘em on an open fire.