Bumbu Kacang versi 2 (Peanut Sauce Paste version 2)

Description:
Every Indonesian household will have their own peanut sauce recipe and also it depends on what it is going to be used for. This recipe is my version of peanut sauce. This peanut sauce is perfect for Bandung style siomay, grilled meat/fish/chicken, dipping sauce or even stir fry. It's very easy to make. The ingredients that I used here are easily available at your local supermarket or at Asian grocery shop.

Of course, there are many ways to make this sauce and different proportion of ingredients. However, this basic peanut sauce is very versatile, just add curry powder, coconut milk, shrimp paste, bagoong (Filipino style fermented shrimp), sesame oil or other spices or seasonings in your imagination.

If you want to cut down the preparation time and reduce the utensils, you can opt for just bottled smooth peanut butter or mixed it with the crunchy peanut butter.



Ingredients:
Part 1:
400 g roasted salted peanut
300 g roasted unsalted cashew nut
250 g water
200 g brown sugar
100 g sweet soy sauce, ABC
50 g sambal oelek, Continental or other simple style sambal oelek
1.5 Tbsp salt
0.5-1 Tbsp hot chilli powder, optional for hotter version


Part 2:
200 g mince Spanish onion
100 g mince garlic
50 g peanut oil or other vegetable oil

6 pieces kaffir lime leaves, torn



Directions:
Ingredient preparation: Put garlic in the food processor and blitz until it's chopped fine enough. Add onion and continue blending them until fine. Add oil and blend. Set aside.

Put the ingredients in Part 1 in a food processor. Blend until the mixture becomes paste. The mincing time depends on how you want the peanut sauce, how smooth the sauce you want. If you use bottled peanut butter, just mixed the ingredients in Part 1 in the wok.

Put Part 2 in a wok and saute until fragrant and change in colour to light brown on medium heat. Add Part 2 and lime leaves, turn up the heat and bring the mixture to boil. Reduce the heat to low heat and continue cooking until oil separated from the peanut mixture. Stir regularly and cook until no steam coming out from the sauce.

Unless... you are going to use it straight away, you don't need to remove most of the moisture from the sauce.

Put the sauce in a container, use the oil to cover the surface. The oil helps to slow down the growth of bacteria and the fungi. Cool and close the lid. Keep in the refrigerator.

If you want to keep the sauce in the freezer, cool the sauce and take a few small freezer bags then keep the sauce into portion. Remove as much air from the bag and tie the bag.


How to use?
Take enough peanut sauce in a mixing bowl, add hot water just enough to make the sauce less viscous but still coats the meat or vegetable. Usually I use 3 parts of peanut sauce to 1 or 2 part(s) of hot water, depending on the application.

Adjust the seasoning with sweet soy sauce and/or salt if necessary.