Kuah Kacang (Spicy Peanut Sauce)

Posted by: Kwokmun on: July 26, 2010

• In: Condiments | Food | Malay | Malaysian | Recipes | Special Occasion
• 8 Comments

The perfect sate ayam (chicken satay) has to be complemented with the best kuah kacang. Nevermind the cucumbers, onions, or even the ketupat; they are secondary to the sauce in my opinion. While a well seasoned and perfectly grilled satay can be enjoyed as it is, a little peanut sauce brings a little kick but never over powers the satay and at the same time, brings some texture to the overall mouth feel. The basic ingredients for the sauce are simple – sambal chilli sauce, coconut milk, and crushed peanuts. Mix them together and you’ve got a creamy and peanuty sauce for your satay.

Ingredients:

• 200g / .5 lb dry roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
• 4 tbsp sambal tumis (pre-sauteed chilli paste)
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 tbsp shallots, finely chopped

Method:

1. Sweat shallots with a little olive oil until soft.
2. Add sambal tumis and fry for 30 seconds to combine.
3. Add coconut milk and mix them together. Simmer until the consistency of your preference. I like it a little thick and chunky but some people might prefer it to be a little more saucy.
4. Serve in a small individual bowls and top your kuah kacang with a dollop of sambal tumis. Just dip your satay into the peanut sauce and dig in.

(recipe adapted from Kuah Kacang Untuk Sate Niaga by Shahril Nizam)

Final Notes:

1. As far as I know, sambal tumis is a paste made from fresh red chillis, shallots, garlic, tamarind juice, belacan (fermented shrimp) and sauteed with a little oil. It has a loose paste consistency and it’s convenient to use them for stir frys. Please check out my recipe for sambal tumis. If you can’t find them in the grocery, sambal oelek might work as a substitute but it’s a lot more watery and the flavor would be slightly different I imagine.

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Tags: creamy, spicy