Malaysian Cuisine
Kuah Kacang (Peanut Sauce) Recipe
Susheela Raghavan, author of "Flavors of Malaysia" (Hippocrene, August 2010)Makes about 1½ cups sauce
Directions
1) Process Spice Paste ingredients to a smooth paste.2) Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet or wok and sauté Spice Paste for 1 to 2 minutes, then add coriander, cumin, and turmeric and an additional 1 tablespoon of oil and sauté for another 4 to 6 minutes till fragrant, adding more oil if necessary.
3) Add tamarind juice, sugar, and salt and sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes.
4) Add peanuts or peanut butter, coconut milk, and water and stir continuously till oil seeps out from sauce, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 tablespoons cooking oil
- ¾ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate or tamarind juice extracted from pulp
- About ¼ cup packed thinly sliced or chopped palm sugar (gula Melaka or gula Jawa) or brown sugar
- 1 to 1¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, finely ground, or ½ cup crunchy or smooth peanut butter (preferably crunchy)
- ¾ to 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk if roasted peanuts are used, or ¼ cup if peanut butter is used
- 1¼ to 1½ cups water
- Spice Paste:
- 2 teaspoons chopped garlic cloves
- ¼ cup chopped shallots or onions
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh or frozen and thawed galangal or fresh ginger
- 1 to 3 dried chilies, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, slit and deseeded; or ½ to 1 teaspoon cili boh; or ¼ to ½ teaspoon bottled sambal oelek; or ¼ to ½ teaspoon chile powder (depending on heat desired)
- ¼ cup sliced lemongrass stalk
- Optional: 1 teaspoon dried shrimp paste (belacan), toasted at 400°F for 15 minutes
- ¼ cup water
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