Verkadalai is Arachis hypogaea, groundnut — the pea that pegs its pods into the soil. Hindi moongphali is the same seed. It is not a tree nut, not cashew, not almond, and not a “protein bomb.” Roasted seeds and pressed oil are food. Raw mouldy lots are the aflatoxin conversation.
- Botanical name
- Arachis hypogaea L.
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Tamil
- Verkadalai
- Hindi
- Moongphali
- Sanskrit
- Bhūcandana
- Parts used
- Seed, Oil
- Habit
- Annual pea that ripens its pods underground
- Last updated
- 2026-10-30
How to recognise Verkadalai
Linnaeus published Arachis hypogaea. The family is Fabaceae. It is a low annual: pinnate leaves with four leaflets, yellow pea-flowers, and a peg that pushes the developing pod underground.
A cashew is a kidney under an apple. An almond is a Prunus stone.
Tamil verkadalai / nila kadalai, Hindi moongphali / mungfali and English peanut / groundnut are this species. It is not a nut in the botanical sense.
Whole pods, or whole seeds that still split into two halves, are the easiest form to check. “Peanut butter” is process.
The flower is above ground; the fruit is below. That peg is the teaching mark.
Seeds are red-skinned or tan-skinned. Colour is a cultivar fact.
Cashew shell liquid burns. Groundnut shells do not. Shared “nut” is not a hazard class.
Leaves fold at night. That nyctinasty is ordinary pea, not a second species.
Oil is a kitchen fat in Tamil frying. Refined and cold-pressed lots are still this seed.
A mouldy, shrivelled lot is a reason to stop. Aflatoxin is a real mill conversation.
It wants sandy, well-drained soil and a dry finish. A wetland “groundnut” may be a different tuber.
Traditional use of Verkadalai
South Indian food
Roasted seeds, chutney and frying oil are cuisine.
Tamil, Telugu and wider kitchen practice
Household
The crop is a dry-season field. Ceremony sometimes uses the seed. Ceremony is not a medical claim.
Household practice
Modern notes on Verkadalai
By weight the seed is roughly a quarter protein and almost half oil, which is why the same crop is both eaten and pressed.
The practical modern issue is cheap mixed oil in a groundnut tin, and mouldy lots sold as rustic.
Verkadalai safety
Roasted culinary seeds from a sound lot are the ordinary food exposure. Peanut allergy is common and serious.
Mouldy nuts are an aflatoxin risk. Do not eat a shrivelled, off-smelling lot. Children with known allergy must not meet a “trace” chutney by accident.
Ecology and sourcing
It is a planted field crop. Honesty is a named district and a dry harvest, not a forest story.
Related plants
Also in Fabaceae
Questions about Verkadalai
Is Verkadalai a tree nut?
No. It is a pea that ripens underground. Allergy can still be severe. Cashew and almond are different pages.
What is the Tamil name of Arachis hypogaea?
Verkadalai. Bare kadalai also names chickpea. Kadalai can mean chickpea as well as peanut, so check which is meant.
Why do some lots smell of mould?
Poor drying. That is an aflatoxin conversation. Do not eat those lots.
Sources
- Arachis hypogaea L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q37383 (Arachis hypogaea)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.