Peanut Satay Sauce with Tamarind and Toasted Peanuts

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The satay sauce that satay stalls across Malaysia and Indonesia actually make: raw peanuts toasted and coarsely ground for texture, a fried aromatic paste of shallot, garlic, lemongrass and dried chile, then simmered down with coconut milk, tamarind and palm sugar until it's glossy and thick enough to coat a skewer. It is sweet, sour, savory and gently spicy all at once, and it tastes nothing like peanut butter thinned with soy sauce. Makes about 2 cups.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup raw skinless peanuts (or unsalted dry-roasted peanuts)

• 6 dried red chiles, such as guajillo or Kashmiri, stemmed and seeded
• 5 shallots, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
• 5 clove garlic
• 2 stalk lemongrass, tough outer layers removed, bottom 4 inches sliced thin
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger or galangal, peeled and sliced
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 cup neutral oil, such as peanut or canola

• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
• 1 1/4 cup water, plus more as needed
• 2 tbsp tamarind concentrate (or 2 tbsp lime juice)
• 3 tbsp palm sugar or dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

• 1 tbsp lime juice
• chopped toasted peanuts and sliced scallion, for serving

Instructions

1. Toast the peanuts: spread the raw peanuts on a rimmed sheet pan and roast at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes, shaking the pan halfway, until they smell nutty and are golden brown at the center when you split one open. Cool completely, about 10 minutes. (Skip this step if using pre-roasted peanuts, but warm them in the oven for 5 minutes anyway — it wakes up the flavor.)
2. Set aside 1/4 cup of the peanuts for garnish. Pulse the remaining 1 1/4 cups in a food processor in short bursts until you have a mix of fine meal and gravel-sized pieces, 15 to 20 seconds total. Stop before it turns to butter — the coarse bits are what make this taste like street satay sauce. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Cover the dried chiles with boiling water and soak 15 minutes until pliable, then drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of the soaking liquid.
4. Make the paste: combine the drained chiles and reserved soaking liquid, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, coriander and cumin in the food processor. Blend to a fairly smooth, brick-red paste, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the sides two or three times. Add a splash of water only if the blades stall.
5. Heat the oil in a heavy 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the paste and fry, stirring almost constantly, for 10 to 12 minutes. It will go from wet and loose to thick and jammy, darken a shade, and the oil will visibly separate around the edges. This is the single most important step — undercooked paste tastes raw and harsh.
6. Stir in the ground peanuts and cook 2 minutes, until they smell toasty and have soaked up the oil.
7. Add the coconut milk, water, tamarind concentrate, palm sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce and 1 teaspoon salt. Whisk to combine, breaking up any lumps of peanut.
8. Bring to a bare simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes and scraping the bottom, until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon and a slick of red oil rises to the surface. If it gets thicker than you want, whisk in water 2 tablespoons at a time.
9. Off the heat, stir in the sesame oil and lime juice. Taste and adjust: more palm sugar for sweetness, more tamarind or lime for sourness, more fish sauce or salt for depth. It should hit all three clearly.
10. Serve warm or at room temperature, topped with the reserved chopped peanuts and sliced scallion, alongside grilled chicken or beef skewers, gado-gado, rice noodles, or as a dip for cucumber and raw vegetables.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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