Like I would post a recipe for chicken satay and not give away the peanut sauce! Unthinkable. They go together like rama lama lama ke ding a de dinga a dong. Sorry, I think I watched Grease one too many times.  

We eat peanut sauce with virtually anything here: noodles, meat, French fries, bread, spring rolls, vegetables (ever tried Brussels’ sprouts with peanut sauce? It is awesome!), you name it, we toss in some peanut sauce.

I’m making my peanut sauce from scratch today, and I literally mean from scratch. It’s so easy and so flavorful, you get to decide what structure you’ll give the sauce and when it comes to the intensity of the flavors, you’re the boss.  

Peanut Base:  

1 cup unsalted peanuts
2 tsp oil (preferably peanut)
1/4 tsp salt  

Sauce:  

1 small onion
1 large garlic clove
1/2 red chili pepper
1 1/2 tsp grated ginger (or 1/8 tsp ground ginger)
1 tbsp oil (preferably peanut)
2 tbsp Ketjap
1/2 chicken bouillon cube
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup water
4 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 to 1 tsp dried coconut

Optional: sweet chili sauce  



Directions:  

Sure, you could use peanut butter in stead, but you really ought to try it this way for a change. It’ll make you feel all homey. It’s hardly any work but the flavors are so much more pure when you grind your own peanuts.  

   
1 cup unsalted peanuts. Add them to your food processor.
  

Add the salt and oil.
  

And blitz. That’s how easy it is to make your own peanut butter. You have full control over the texture in the sauce this way—I never cared for creamy peanut butters.
  

Gotta love your food processor.
  

Now you can chop the onion, garlic and chili pepper by hand and really mince it.
  

I gave them a coarse chop in stead.
  

And used my el cheapo version of the slap chop to finely mince it. I don’t want large chunks in my peanut sauce.
  

Peel and grate a small piece of fresh ginger, about 1 to 1 1/2 tsp. Just a bit or else it will mask all the other flavors where you want it to add to the flavor. You could also use ground ginger in stead, don’t take it past 1/8 tsp then. 
  

Heat 1 tbsp oil and sauté the onion, garlic and chili pepper for a minute or 3—don’t let it brown because that will alter the flavor of the sauce! No good. Add the fresh ginger, crumble in half a chicken bouillon cube and cook for about 30 to 60 seconds. Until you smell the ginger.
  

Add the peanut butter, ketjap, brown sugar and 1/2 a cup plain ole water. Stir well. Now add 4 tbsp milk and 1/4 tsp salt. I know, adding milk to peanut butter is a venial sin, but I’m doing it anyway! I prefer a peanut butter made with milk.
 
 

Simmer the sauce for a few minutes. This will make for a really thick peanut sauce because that’s how my family likes it, add more milk or water to get the consistency your family likes. You could also replace the milk with coconut milk. Lots of options.  

Last but not least I add about a tbsp sweet chili sauce, this is strictly optional but I find it really bumps the flavor and gives it a beautiful shine. Add 1/2 to max 1 tsp dried coconut for a more intense and exotic flavor.
  

I really have a soft spot for peanut sauce. It’s so delicious with many oriental and other dishes.