Creamy Peanut Butter, or Chunky Peanut Butter?
It’s what divides our world in two. If you’re not allergic, you must make a choice; take a side; stock your cupboard with so much creamy peanut butter, or chunky peanut butter, that even if you think of changing your mind, it’s too late.
You’re either chunky or you’re creamy.
I’m proud to be chunky. My kitchen is never without chunky peanut butter, which is important not only for my morning toast, but also for my occasional cravings for a Southeast Asian style Peanut Sauce.
In a nutshell, a peanut sauce is a concoction of crushed peanuts, soy sauce, sugar, lime juice, and a spice paste. Traditionally, peanuts will be fried with the skin on, then crushed coarsely, and finally fried again with any combination of spices such as chili peppers, coriander seeds, galangal, ginger, lemongrass, shallots, and so on.
Peanut sauces are common throughout Southeast Asia – served as a dip with satay or prawn crackers, as a dressing for salads, as a sauce for rice noodle dishes, and many more. The uses varying almost as much as the ingredients.
In my easy, short-cut version of Thai Peanut Sauce – a Thai recipe because of the addition of coconut milk – I skip the cooking entirely by using chunky peanut butter. Not traditional, but with a quality mix of spices that begins with fresh lemongrass, ginger, and chili peppers, it’s hard to taste the difference.
Fast, easy, yet packed with flavor, this Thai Peanut Sauce will bring a surprising zing – and crunch if you’re proud to be chunky – to your favorite vegetable salad or pasta.
Easy Thai Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup peanut butter – chunky or creamy
- 1 stalk lemongrass – white bulbous part only finely minced
- 1 fresh red chili pepper serrano pepper – finely minced
- 1 tbsp Thai chili paste “nam prik pao” (optional)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp raw sugar or brown sugar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil or vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 3 tbsp coconut milk
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk well into a sauce. Taste and make the necessary adjustment to your seasonings.
- For an Asian style salad, mix the peanut sauce with cucumber, bean sprouts, tofu, long beans, boiled potatoes, white cabbage, and tomatoes.
- To turn it into a complete meal, add shredded chicken or turkey along with rice vermicelli noodles. This peanut sauce also makes a delicious pasta sauce or dipping sauce.