Spicy Peanut Sauce with Tamarind and Herbs Recipe

Introduction

This rich and flavorful peanut sauce is a perfect accompaniment to grilled meats, vegetables, or as a dip. Combining roasted peanuts with aromatic spices and a hint of sweetness, it’s a versatile sauce that brings a taste of Southeast Asia to your kitchen.

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 peanuts in a food processor until finely chopped but still retaining some texture. Transfer to a bowl and clean out the food processor.
2. Step 2: Add the dried chillies, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, galangal, tamarind concentrate, gula melaka (or sugar), ground coriander, and kecap manis into the food processor. Blitz until smooth, adding a few tablespoons of water if needed to help blend.
3. Step 3: Heat the vegetable oil in a non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Fry the spice paste until fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Step 4: Stir in the ground peanuts, tamarind, sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, ground coriander, kecap manis, and 200ml of water. Combine well.
5. Step 5: Cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring continuously until the oil separates from the sauce.
6. Step 6: Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool completely. Transfer to a sterilised jar or airtight container.

Tips & Variations

• For a milder sauce, reduce the number of dried chillies or remove all seeds before blending.
• Swap the gula melaka palm sugar for dark brown sugar if unavailable; it will still add a lovely caramel sweetness.
• Add a splash of lime juice before serving to brighten the flavors.
• If you prefer a smoother sauce, blitz the peanuts longer until finely ground.

Storage

Store the peanut sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Before using, give it a good stir, and if it has thickened too much, warm gently or stir in a little warm water to loosen the texture.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I make this peanut sauce without a food processor?

While a food processor makes blending easier and smoother, you can finely chop the ingredients by hand and use a mortar and pestle to combine the spice paste. It will take more time but will still yield great flavor.

Is this sauce suitable for vegans?

Yes, this peanut sauce is vegan-friendly as it contains no animal products. Just be sure to use kecap manis that does not include shrimp or fish ingredients.

Spicy Peanut Sauce with Tamarind and Herbs Recipe

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★★★★★

4.8 from 85 reviews

This rich and flavorful peanut sauce features a blend of dry roasted peanuts, fragrant spices, tamarind, and sweet palm sugar, perfect as a dipping sauce or accompaniment to various Asian dishes. The sauce is cooked gently on the stovetop until the oil separates, resulting in a smooth, aromatic, and slightly textured sauce with a perfect balance of sweet, sour, and spicy notes.

• Author: Maya
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: About 300ml of peanut sauce 1x
• Category: Sauce
• Method: Stovetop
• 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 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
• 1 tsp salt
• 200ml water (for cooking)

Instructions

1. Prepare Peanuts: Place the dry roasted peanuts in a food processor and blitz until they are finely chopped but still retain a bit of texture. Transfer the chopped peanuts to a bowl and clean out the processor for the next step.
2. Make Spice Paste: Add the soaked and prepared dried red chillies, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, galangal, and tamarind concentrate into the food processor. Blitz until a smooth paste forms, adding a few tablespoons of water if necessary to help blend everything evenly.
3. Cook the Sauce: Heat the vegetable oil in a non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Fry the spice paste gently until fragrant, which should take a few minutes. Then add the ground peanuts, tamarind concentrate, gula melaka palm sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, ground coriander, kecap manis, and 200ml water. Stir to combine well.
4. Simmer and Finish: Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the mixture for 15 minutes, stirring continuously to prevent sticking. Continue until the oil separates from the sauce, indicating it’s cooked perfectly.
5. Cool and Store: Remove the saucepan from heat and allow the sauce to cool completely at room temperature. Once cooled, transfer the sauce to a sterilized jar or airtight container. Store in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to two weeks.

Notes

• Soaking and deseeding the dried red chillies reduces the heat slightly while keeping the chili flavor robust.
• If the sauce is too thick after cooking, you can thin it with a little warm water to achieve the desired consistency.
• This peanut sauce pairs beautifully with grilled meats, satay, rice dishes, or as a dip for fresh vegetables.
• Use gula melaka (palm sugar) for authentic sweetness, but dark brown soft sugar is a good substitute.
• Ensure to stir continuously while cooking to prevent burning and to help the oil separate properly for the perfect texture.

Keywords: peanut sauce, Southeast Asian sauce, tamarind peanut sauce, spicy peanut dip, homemade peanut sauce, gula melaka sauce