Authentic Malaysian Satay Sauce

5 from 1 vote

Authentic Malaysian Satay Sauce

After tasting this authentic Malaysian satay sauce, you'll never go back to any other. This Malaysian-style satay sauce is nutty and creamy, with well-balanced flavors of lemongrass, ginger, and warm spices. It's slightly sweet and spicy, with adjustable heat to suit your taste. This sauce is perfect for satay or any barbeque dish. I've simplified the recipe so it can be made wherever you are!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Servings: cups

Author: Bea & Marco

Ingredients

Base

4 red chilies , sliced, adjust or omit to likings
3 lemongrass , white parts only, thinly sliced
1 inch ginger , sliced
1 inch galangal , sliced
½ red onion , sliced
4 garlic cloves
2 tablespoon coriander seeds

Main

⅓ cup (65 g) coconut oil , or any oil
1 lemongrass , white part only
1 cup (150 g) roasted plain peanuts , or the peanuts to snack on
½ cup (120 g) coconut milk
1 ½ cup (345 g) water
¼ cup (40 g) coconut sugar , or brown sugar
2 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon concentrated tamarind , or 1 tablespoon lime juice
½ teaspoon salt , to taste

Instructions

Peanuts

Store-bought toasted plain peanuts: Blend into semi-fine texture, using a grinder. Do it in small batches, so they blend evenly.
Toasting peanuts at home: 1) Using a pan—Dry-toast in a pan on medium heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring them now and then so they don't burn.2) Using an oven—Bake in a single layer, on a tray at 320ºF (160ºC) for 20-30 minutes. 3) Using an air-fryer—Air-fry at 320ºF (160ºC) for 15-20 minutes, stirring them once halfway through cooking time.
Remove the skins by pressing the peanuts with a kitchen towel. Leave to cool completely. Blend into semi-fine texture, using a grinder.

Base

Add chilies, lemongrass, ginger, galangal, red onion, garlic cloves, and coriander seeds into a chopper and blend into a fine texture.

Cook

Bruise one lemongrass by bashing it with a rolling pin. Put it in a pot with oil and heat until it starts sizzling. Add in the base paste and cook until it thickens and the oil separates, around 5-10 minutes.
Add peanuts, coconut milk, coconut sugar, tamarind, water, fish sauce, soy sauce, and salt. Mix well. Bring to a boil and leave to simmer for 10 minutes, until the oil separates. Your authentic Malaysian satay sauce is ready!

Notes

Make sure the peanuts are cooled before blending them. This is for when you're dry-toasting the peanuts yourself. Cooled peanuts will blend better, and preserve their crunchiness in this satay sauce.
Blend the peanuts into a semi-fine texture. This will create a different texture and contrast, which is amazing! When you bite into them, you will experience the crunch of small peanut pieces. Avoid blending for too long to prevent turning the peanuts into peanut butter.
Blend the peanuts in small batches. I blend them in 2-3 batches, to make sure they're blended evenly.
Understanding the term "until the oil separates." This is a popular cooking method in Southeast Asia, and it involves two stages: 1) Initially, you cook the ingredients where the oil appears to blend homogeneously with them. 2) After a few more minutes of cooking, you'll notice a layer of oil separating itself from the rest. This is a sign that the ingredients are thoroughly cooked as intended.
Use a splatter guard. To prevent messiness in the kitchen, and protect yourself from the splattering sauce as it cooks down.

Nutrition