It’s sweet, tangy and just spicy enough that you’ll want to use this sauce with everything. Make this peanut sauce the next time you make chicken satay, steamed vegetables, steamed rice, or even on fried eggs in the morning.
This recipe is by no means authentic but definitely my favourite way to prepare it and super tasty. Making the sauce is so much fun because the house will smell amazing while you prepare it.
Must have ingredients
The sauce requires some ingredients that may be difficult to find. I had to go to a specialty Asian grocery store to find the ingredients but it was definitely worth it.
- Kecap Manis – Essentially a sweetened and flavoured soy sauce that is used extensively in Indonesian cuisine. Kecap Manis is widely available here in the Netherlands but can be difficult to find elsewhere. If you can’t find it then add 1 tsp of palm/white sugar to every tbsp of soy sauce.
- Palm Sugar – I love this stuff. Slightly less sweet than normal sugar and gives a rich flavour to the dish.
- Tamarind – Probably the hardest to find but very worthwhile. Tamarind pulp that is de-seeded is exactly what you want. This gives the sauce a nice sour flavour and brown colour. If you can’t find this then just use more lime juice.
- Lemongrass – Sometimes difficult to find but the aroma is second to none!
- Plain, blanched peanuts – Roasting the peanuts yourself not only smells amazing but also makes the sauce tastier.
Is there a quicker version if I don’t have time to make this one?
Sometimes you’re in a rush and you don’t have time to make the real deal. No problem. This recipe is way faster, requires no cooking and still 100x better than a store-bought peanut sauce.
Lazy peanut sauce
- 150ml roasted and salted peanuts
- ½ lime, juiced and zested
- 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- ½ clove garlic
- ½ fresh chili
- ½ tsp ginger
- 2 tbsp kecap manis (or 2 tbsp soy sauce with 2 tsp sugar)
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- A couple drops of worcestershire/fish sauce
Blitz everything together in a food processor. Add salt to taste. If the sauce is too thick add a bit more coconut milk or water until it’s nice and saucy.
This recipe is my own but some inspiration came from Bee @ Rasa Malaysia. Her blog has lots of great authentic asian style dishes. Check it out!
Sweet and Spicy Peanut Sauce - The Real Deal
Equipment
- Food processor
- Strainer
Ingredients
For the Spice Paste
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- ½ stalk lemongrass chopped
- 1 whole chili stem removed
- 1 piece ginger 6g or about the same amount as the garlic
- ¼ cup peanut oil or vegetable oil
The Rest
- ½ stalk lemongrass
- ¼ cup blanched peanuts peeled, unsalted, not roasted
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ piece lime juice
- 3 tsp palm sugar
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- 1 tsp salt
Tamarind Water
- 1 tbsp tamarind pulp de-seeded
- ¼ cup hot water
Instructions
- Set the oven to 190°C/375°F and roast the nuts on a tray until dark brown, about 7 minutes.
- Pulse the nuts in the food processor until fine but not a paste.
- Add the hot water to the tamarind and let sit for 15 minutes.
- Gather these ingredients and the oil.
- Blitz with the oil until fine.
- Strain the water from the soaked tamarind pulp. Discard the pulp and set aside the tamarind water.
- Have everything ready to go like this before you begin.
- Cook the spice paste over low heat for about 5 minutes until it smells aromatic. Add the lemongrass stock.
- Add all of the other ingredients except the peanuts and cook out until slightly thickened. About 5-10 minutes.
- Once slightly thickened, add the peanuts and turn off the heat. Check the seasoning. Let cool slightly and serve at room temperature. Enjoy!
Notes
