Start with whole skinless peanuts from an Asian grocery. They’re white and fat. Sometimes they’ve been boiled, sometimes they’re raw. If you can find only peanuts with the skins on, you’ll need to rub the skins off after dry-roasting.

Place a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add about 1 cup peanuts and use a wooden spoon to move them around the pan frequently to prevent sticking and burned spots as they roast.

They will start to develop golden patches and become aromatic; if you notice any black patches on the nuts before they have turned light brown, remove the pan from the heat for a moment and lower the heat, then return the pan to the heat and continue.

Once the peanuts are golden brown in large patches all over, transfer them to a large cutting board and coarsely chop.

Or, let them cool, then transfer to a food processor and pulse briefly to coarsely chop; be careful not to overprocess—you do not want a paste.

Store, once completely cooled, in a well-sealed container in a cool place.

In Vietnam and Cambodia, chopped dry-roasted peanuts are often mixed with sugar to make a sweetened topping for desserts or sticky rice.