Peanut Sauce
This is how I make peanut sauce. I cannot attest to the authenticity of this recipe in any way. I just know that it’s delicious, I almost always have all the ingredients on hand, and my children beg for me to make it weekly. It’s an easy way to make a meal feel just a little more like a feast. Steam some broccoli or some green beans and serve with this peanut sauce over rice and you have some thing greater than the sum of its parts.
You could fry some tofu (if you’re into that sort of thing) or grill some chicken with satay spices on a bed of spinach and make it a meal. In fact, you will have some coconut milk left over when you make the sauce and you can use it in the marinade for grilled satay chicken here.
Peanut Sauce
An Asian inspired peanut sauce made with peanut butter, coconut milk and Thai curry paste
Ingredients
- 1/2 red onion minced about 1 cup
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 inches ginger peeled and coarsely grated
- 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon prepared red Thai chili paste
- 1 cup chunky peanut butter
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and onions and sauté until the onions are translucent. Take care to ensure that the onions do not burn.
- Once the onions are translucent, at the ginger and garlic and sauté for another one to two minutes until softened.
- Next, add the curry powder, turmeric and chili paste and fry for a minute or so. Don’t skip this step or your spices will taste better in the end product.
- Next, add the peanut butter and coconut milk. Keep stirring until everything is well mixed.
- Add the brown sugar and fish sauce. Continue to cook to a simmer.
- You may notice that the fat will separate from the solids as the sauce continues to simmer. While stirring, slowly add some of the water to help emulsify the sauce and create a well mixed result.
- Stir again right before serving as the ingredients tend to separate at rest. This can be made well ahead of your meal and reheated at the last minute.
