Satay Sauce
(Sambal Kacang)

Name: Satay Sauce
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: Vegetable oil, for shallow-frying; 200g blanched peanuts; 3 kaffir lime leaves; 30g long red chilli, stem removed; 2 cloves garlic, peeled; 100g gula jawa, shaved; 1½ teaspoons tamarind liquid; 1½ teaspoons salt flakes

This Indonesian satay sauce recipe was taught to me by chef Hasan Yeoh from Kko Kko Balinese restaurant. It makes a thick peanut paste that keeps in the fridge for a couple of months. When you’re ready to serve, mix it with a little water to create a peanut sauce that’s addictive poured over just about anything, from a gado gado salad of fresh vegetables to grilled chicken, beef or seafood. Be sure to mix it well and let it sit for a while before serving, it may seem a bit thin at first but it thickens over time. Often called satay sauce in English, this tasty condiment is generally called sambal kacang or saus kacang in Indonesian. Don’t confuse it with the much thinner satay marinade (a.k.a. satay paste) used to marinate meat for grilling. I enjoy a savoury pinot noir alongside dishes dressed with satay sauce. Try the great-value Flux-V from Harewood Estate in Western Australia – the rich dark fruits work well with the gula jawa and there’s a hint of anise spice that seems a natural with Asian flavours. Store any leftover diluted peanut sauce in the fridge for up to a week.

Makes about 1⅓ cup concentrate

Ingredients

Vegetable oil, for shallow-frying
200g blanched peanuts
3 kaffir lime leaves
30g long red chilli, stem removed
2 cloves garlic, peeled
100g gula jawa, shaved
1½ teaspoons tamarind liquid
1½ teaspoons salt flakes

Method

Heat about 1.5cm of oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
Add peanuts and cook for a minute or 2, stirring constantly, until light brown all over.
Use a slotted spoon to scoop them out of the oil onto a paper towel-lined rack and spread them out so they cool quickly. Set aside.
Add kafir lime leaves to the oil; have a splatter guard or lid ready to cover the pan as they will spit.
Fry for 30 seconds or so, until they stop spluttering and are crisp. Scoop them out onto a paper towel-lined rack.
Add chilli and garlic to the oil, cover quickly with the lid and fry for about 1 minute, until light brown, carefully turning them as needed. Scoop out onto a paper towel-lined rack.
Set oil aside.
Place peanuts in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to grind as coarse or fine as you like, leaving some texture.
Transfer to a mixing bowl.
Add kaffir lime, chilli, garlic, gula jawa, tamarind liquid, salt and 2 teaspoons of the frying oil to the food processor and blend to a smooth, thick paste.
Transfer to the mixing bowl and mix until well combined then knead by hand for several minutes until the mixture is shiny.
Store covered in the fridge for up to 2 months.
To use, combine 2 parts Spicy Peanut Sauce with 1 part hot water, mix well and set aside for at least 15 minutes or so before serving.