A couple nights ago I made Curacaoan Beef Sate for dinner, and I needed a peanut sauce to go with it. Alas, I couldn’t find a recipe for a Curacaoan version of such sauce (though later, when it was too late, I found one at http://www.recipeisland.com/blog/recipe-island/curacao-recipes/peanut-sauce/), so I looked for an Indonesian peanut sauce recipe. I decided on this one, because it was very simple and it didn’t require any exotic ingredients. I further westernized it by getting rid of the pepper (hoping that my kids would then eat it, which they didn’t after all). Though the sauce wasn’t as layered or delicious as it would otherwise have been, it was pretty addictive – I couldn’t resist sampling it every time I went by the stove (hey, I just made it for my family). I’d definitely make it again if I needed a mild peanut sauce for whatever reason.
BTW, I halved the proportions from the original recipe, and it still made much more peanut sauce than we could eat at one or two sittings. If I was going to make it again, I’d halve the recipe once more.
Indonesian Peanut Sauce
Puree peanut butter, garlic, ginger and brown sugar in a food processor and transfer to a small saucepan. Add coconut milk, soy sauce and molasses and stir well.
Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, and then simmer until sauce has thickened and the flavors have merged, about 30 minutes. Stir often. Cool to room temperature and add more soy sauce or lemon juice as needed.