Recipes and tipps

Peanut sauce or satay sauce is widely used in the cuisines of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, china and many more places. The main ingredient for peanut sauce is crushed roasted peanuts but can substitute with smooth or crunchy peanut butter. In Thai version, lemon grass, galangal or ginger, fish sauce or soya sauce, lemon juice or tamarind paste, coconut cream, red chilli are added as per the taste. Peanut sauce can be used as a dipping sauce, with salad, noodle, marinate and in spring roll as a stuffing. This time I have prepared peanut sauce with peanut butter (smooth). It is up to you how spicy and sweet you want.

• Oil – 3 tbsp
• Onion (small) or shallots (finely chopped) – 1 or 3 tbsp
• Ginger (chopped) – 1 1/2 tsp (chopped)
• Garlic cloves (chopped) – 2
• Birds eye red chilli (chopped) – 1 to 2
• Dark soya sauce – 1 tsp
• Light soya sauce – 1 tsp
• Sesame oil – 1 1/2 tsp
• Sugar – 2tsp or more
• Peanut butter (smooth) – 4 to 5 tbsp
• Water – 1 cup
• Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp
• Salt as per taste

• Chop all the vegetables finely and keep it aside.
• Preheat the kadai or any vessel you have, add oil, when it is hot, add onion, ginger, garlic, chillies, one by one and fry till it changes to light golden colour on medium flame.
• Add peanut butter and water 1/4th cup, mix well, to loosen the peanut butter texture, then add more water 1/2cup, boil for 1min, then add sesame oil, sugar, salt, soya sauce and black pepper powder, mix well.
• Cook on medium flame for 2 to 3 min, then simmer it and cook till it leaves oil, stir in between.
• If it gets dry add 1/4th cup water more as per the requirement and cook, as when it gets cold it will become dry, so keep it loosen and little thin sauce, not a very dry and thick sauce.
• When it is cooked it becomes glossy, smooth, soft texture and can see oil on top, it will take 5 to 8min, after simmering, switch it off.
• If you want, can put the roasted sesame seeds (1tsp) in the peanut sauce and cook, or at the end, just sprinkle on the sauce.
• Serve hot or cold, it is very delicious.
• I have used in spring roll as stuffing, chicken salad, prawn salad and many more.

• Instead of smooth peanut butter, can use crunchy peanut butter.
• Peanut oil is used for Chinese cooking but I often use vegetable or sunflower oil.
• Can use any fresh red chilli, as per your taste.
• If it is getting too dry add water and can drizzle little oil, if it is sticking.
• Peanut butter is sticky and difficult to drop in the vessel for cooking.
• Instead of sugar can use palm sugar or jaggery (gud), or brown sugar, I often use white sugar, which is available in my kitchen cupboard.
• If one type of soya sauce is available then use 1tsp first then add more as per the taste.