Peanut Hummus is something I thought up, very similar to the peanut chutney we Telugus pair with Idlis, our breakfast staple. So keeping the peanuts as a base, I worked around the other ingredients to make it non-South-Indian, yet keep it Indian. I roasted a handful of peanuts, and ground them to a thick paste with some garlic cloves and salt.
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Chilli Pesto and Peanut Pasta
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
Description
This pasta is yummy, with a distinct peanut flavor, and the faint heat of the chillies. If you love peanuts, you’ll love this.
Ingredients
- Peanut Hummus - 1/4 C (60 ml) [Preparation below]
- Red chilli paste - 1 tbsp (15 ml) [Depending on how hot this is!]
- Mustard paste - 1 tbsp (15 ml)
- Olive oil - 1 tbsp (15 ml)
- Garlic cloves - 4-6, finely diced
- Dried Oregano - 1/2 tsp
- Paneer (Cottage Cheese) - 1/4 C (60 ml) [Optional]
- Salt - To taste
- Pasta - 1 C (240 ml) [I used 4 whole wheat vermicelli nests]
Instructions
- Peanut Hummus – Roast a handful peanuts. Let it cool and remove the skin off the peanuts. Grind them with the garlic cloves in a mixer-grinder with some water. Add salt to taste, and refrigerate it.
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the box.
- Heat oil in a pan, and sauté the garlic cloves. Sprinkle the dried oregano on this.
- Add the peanut hummus, mustard and red chilli pastes and sauté them all together.
- If this resembles a thick paste, add some boiling water to get this to a sauce-like consistency.
- Add salt to taste, and gently mix the cooked pasta to this.
- Sprinkle the crumbled cottage cheese on this, if using.
- Serve hot.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Pasta
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 410
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is “peanut hummus” in this recipe, and how do I make it?
Peanut hummus is the recipe’s homemade base — step 1 describes roasting a handful of peanuts, cooling and skinning them, then grinding them with garlic cloves and a little water into a thick paste, seasoned with salt. The author drew inspiration from the peanut chutney used in South Indian cooking and ground it into a hummus-like consistency. It is made fresh and refrigerated until needed.
The sauce looks very thick after adding the peanut hummus — what should I do?
Step 5 addresses this directly: if the sautéed mixture resembles a thick paste rather than a sauce, add some of the pasta boiling water to loosen it to a sauce-like consistency. The starchy water helps bind the sauce to the pasta as well. 
Is the paneer necessary, and what does it add?
The recipe marks paneer (cottage cheese) as optional. When included, it is crumbled over the finished pasta as a garnish, adding a mild creamy contrast to the peanut and chilli heat. Skip it for a fully dairy-free dish.
