Creamy Spicy Peanut Sauce Recipe

Introduction

This rich and flavorful peanut sauce is a delicious accompaniment to grilled meats, vegetables, or noodles. Made with roasted peanuts and a blend of aromatic spices, it brings a perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and spicy notes to your dishes.

Ingredients

• 150g dry roasted peanuts
• 50ml vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp tamarind concentrate or paste
• 3 tbsp gula melaka palm sugar, or dark brown soft sugar
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
• 8 dried red chillies, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes, drained, deseeded, and roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 4 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 lemongrass stalk, trimmed and roughly chopped
• 1.5cm piece of galangal, peeled and roughly chopped

Instructions

1. Step 1: Blitz the dry roasted peanuts in a food processor until they are finely chopped but still retain some texture. Transfer them to a bowl and clean the food processor bowl.
2. Step 2: Place the soaked and prepared chillies, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, galangal, tamarind concentrate, gula melaka (or brown sugar), ground coriander, and kecap manis into the food processor. Blitz until you get a smooth paste, adding a few tablespoons of water if necessary to help blend.
3. Step 3: Heat the vegetable oil in a non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Fry the spice paste until it becomes fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Step 4: Add the ground peanuts to the saucepan along with tamarind, sugar, 1 tsp salt, ground coriander, kecap manis, and 200ml water. Stir well to combine all the ingredients.
5. Step 5: Cook the mixture over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring continuously until the oil separates from the sauce.
6. Step 6: Remove the pan from heat and let the sauce cool completely. Transfer it into a sterilized jar or airtight container for storage.

Tips & Variations

• Soaking the dried chillies beforehand reduces their heat and softens them, but you can adjust the quantity to make it milder or spicier.
• Gula melaka adds a distinct caramel-like sweetness, but dark brown sugar is a great substitute if unavailable.
• For a thinner sauce, add a little more water during cooking until you reach your desired consistency.

Storage

Store the peanut sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Before using, bring it to room temperature or gently warm it. Stir well if the oil has separated during storage.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use fresh peanuts instead of dry roasted peanuts?

It’s best to use dry roasted peanuts for this recipe as they provide a deeper, nuttier flavor. If you only have raw peanuts, roast them in a dry pan over medium heat until golden and fragrant before processing.

How can I make this peanut sauce vegan?

This recipe is naturally vegan as it uses vegetable oil and no animal products. Just ensure the kecap manis you use is vegan-friendly, as some brands can contain additives.

Creamy Spicy Peanut Sauce Recipe

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★★★★★

4.7 from 341 reviews

This rich and flavorful peanut sauce is a versatile condiment made from dry roasted peanuts, aromatic spices, and sweet tamarind and palm sugar. Perfect for dipping or drizzling over grilled meats, vegetables, or noodles, the sauce combines a balance of sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors with a creamy texture achieved by frying a fragrant spice paste and stirring in ground peanuts and kecap manis. It is a traditional Southeast Asian-inspired sauce ideal for adding depth and complexity to your dishes.

• Author: Zane
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: Approximately 300ml of peanut sauce 1x
• Category: Sauce
• Method: Frying
• Cuisine: Southeast Asian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Peanut Sauce

• 150g dry roasted peanuts
• 50ml vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp tamarind concentrate or paste
• 3 tbsp gula melaka (palm sugar) or dark brown soft sugar
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
• 8 dried red chillies, soaked in warm water for 20 mins, drained, deseeded, and roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 4 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 lemongrass stalk, trimmed and roughly chopped
• 1.5cm piece of galangal, peeled and roughly chopped

Instructions

1. Process Peanuts: Blitz the dry roasted peanuts in a food processor until they are finely chopped but still retain some texture. Remove the peanuts to a bowl and clean out the food processor thoroughly.
2. Make Spice Paste: Place the soaked, drained, and chopped dried red chillies, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, galangal, tamarind concentrate, gula melaka (or palm sugar), and ground coriander into the food processor. Blitz everything until a smooth paste forms. Add a few tablespoons of water if needed to help blend the ingredients together evenly.
3. Cook the Spice Paste: Heat the vegetable oil in a non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add the prepared spice paste and fry it gently until it becomes fragrant and the aromas are released, ensuring it does not burn.
4. Add Remaining Ingredients: Stir in the ground peanuts, tamarind, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, ground coriander, and kecap manis along with 200ml of water. Mix everything well to combine the flavors thoroughly.
5. Simmer Sauce: Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the sauce, stirring continuously for 15 minutes. Continue until the oil starts separating from the sauce, indicating it has thickened and the flavors are concentrated.
6. Cool and Store: Remove the peanut sauce from heat and leave it to cool completely. Once cooled, transfer it into a sterilized jar or airtight container. Store the sauce chilled, where it will keep for up to two weeks.

Notes

• If the sauce is too thick after cooling, stir in a little warm water to loosen it before serving.
• You can adjust the chili quantity depending on your heat preference.
• Gula melaka adds a unique caramel-like sweetness; if unavailable, dark brown sugar is a suitable substitute.
• Ensure continuous stirring during simmering to prevent the sauce from sticking or burning.
• The sauce is excellent served with satays, grilled meats, noodles, or as a dipping sauce for vegetables.

Keywords: peanut sauce, satay sauce, Indonesian sauce, spicy peanut dip, tamarind peanut sauce, homemade peanut sauce, Southeast Asian condiment