Ingredients
230ml vegetable oil
500 g raw unsalted peanuts
4 cloves garlic, chopped
8 shallots, chopped
A scant teaspoon of shrimp paste (optional)
Salt to taste
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 litre water
2 tbsp tamarind water or juice of 2 lemons
Preparation
Stir-fry the peanuts for 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain in a colander, and leave to cool. Then blitz the nuts into a fine powder, using a blender. Discard the oil, except for 1 tablespoonful.
Crush the garlic, shallots and shrimp paste in a mortar with a little salt, and fry in the remaining oil for 1 minute. Add the chilli powder, sugar, soy sauce and water. Bring this to the boil, then add the ground peanuts. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce becomes thick; this should take about 8-10 minutes. Add the tamarind water or lemon juice and more salt if needed.
When cool, keep in a jar in the fridge. Reheat as required. The sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.
