Creamy Asian Peanut Sauce

Name: Creamy Asian Peanut Sauce
Yield: Makes 2 Cups
Cuisine: Malaysia
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon Malaysian chile sauce, sambal ulek, or other Asian chile paste; 1 teaspoon Malaysian chile sauce, sambal ulek, or other Asian chile paste; ½ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 small onion, finely chopped; ¼ cup chicken stock or water, or more as needed; ¼ cup chicken stock or water, or more as needed; ¾ cup smooth peanut butter; 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk; 1 to 2 teaspoons fish sauce (optional); 1 teaspoon Malaysian chile sauce, sambal ulek, or other Asian chile paste; 1 tablespoon sugar, or more to taste; 2 tablespoons soy sauce, or more to taste

Preparation info

Makes
2 Cups

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Planet Barbecue

By Steven Raichlen

Published 2010

About

Pretty much anywhere you eat satés in Southeast Asia, you’ll find some sort of peanut sauce. Malaysia’s is lighter and creamier than Indonesia’s or Thailand’s. Tradition calls for the sauce to be made with deep-fried shelled peanuts. Peanut butter gives you similar results with a lot less labor.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves

Asia
Malaysia
Sauce
Pescatarian
South East Asia
Spicy

Method

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes, stirring well. Whisk in the peanut butter, coconut milk, chicken stock or water, sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, if using, and the chile paste and pepper. Let the sauce simmer until it is thick and richly flavored, about 5 minutes, stirring well.