This is ultimately my favourite snack. I used to buy small packets of these from vendors that peddled the nuts in the night markets ("pasar malam") and these were cheap at S$2 per packet.
I wouldn't recommend anyone to boil peanuts at home cos' it takes several hours to soften them. I tried before and stopped short after a few hours cos' I didn't want to be evicted from my parents' flat for emptying their cooking gas tank lol
I've got this electric tandoor that makes fantastic dry roasted peanuts, the only problem is you have to boil them first and as you say it takes hours, I guess that's why most locals boil them outside on a rocket stove or some other type of wood fire.
We have found a neat,quick, hassel free way to "roast" unshelled peanuts in a microwave oven
Place a single layer of unshelled peanuts on a flat oven proof dinner plate.
Pop into microwave oven and zap at max for between 2-3 minutes.
Allow the nuts to cool before attempting to eat.
Have a feeling you could also try to boil/stew the unshelled peanuts in salty water with a suitable oven proof soup dish until they are soft and palatable.
Not sure about the cooking time for boiling them as we have not tried this.
I wish I could learn to like them but the two times I tried they tasted like dirt to me. I don't get it..
