Sami’s Easy Peanut Sauce | 6 Ingredients!

This recipe is a favourite for those mid-week meals when you are looking for something quick and easy. I love how easy this peanut sauce is to make, and that no fancy ingredients are required. This recipe was shared with me by one of my favourite people, who loves peanut butter more than anyone I know.

 
Everyone has their go-to-meals, when we need to create something out of what seems like nothing. My go-to is usually this Japanese Noodle Soup with Miso which is my favourite way to use up leftover vegetables, but for my friend Sami, hers is peanut sauce! This Easy Peanut Sauce recipe goes great with so many dishes – in the summer I love putting it on a Baked Tofu Quinoa Salad Bowl, in the cooler months, I like it on this classic Indonesian style dish Gado Gado!

Ingredients for peanut sauce: peanut butter, honey, curry powder, mustard, stock (or water), onion and garlic

Why I Made This Recipe

Peanut Butter Is Healthy

I’ve shared my stance on the health benefits of peanut butter here – No Bake 100 Calorie Peanut Butter Energy Balls. Peanut butter is a great source of protein and monounsaturated fats, as well as Vitamin E, Vitamin B3, as well as iron, magnesium, potassium, copper and calcium. Best of all, it is a blood-sugar stabilizing food, thanks to the healthy fats and protein.

It’s Easy To Make

Traditional Gado Gado peanut sauce recipes might ask you to boil some shelled peanuts for 30 minutes, and then blend them and cook them down for another 30 minutes. While the end result is usually worth it, most people don’t have this kind of time. I love this recipe because it can be made in one pot, no blending of fancy equipment is required.

A Versatile Recipe

Don’t stop at just Indonesian with this peanut sauce, with a little variation you can make it into a Thai, Chinese or a Vietnamese peanut sauce. See some variation tips below.

Ingredients for Indonesian Gado Gado served with peanut sauce: brown rice, eggs, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots

Recipe Variations

An Easy Peanut Sauce For Spring Rolls

I love using this recipe for dipping spring rolls, salad rolls or for adding to lettuce wraps. For a dipping sauce you will want it to be a thinner consistency, so add an additional 1/4 cup of water.

A Thai Peanut Sauce

This recipe is a great base for multiple peanut sauce recipes. To create a Thai-inspired sauce out of it, follow the directions below and once the peanut sauce is finished add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce (or soy sauce for vegetarians) and the juice of 1 lime.

A Chinese Peanut Sauce

A Chinese inspired sauce is great for dipping dumplings in or drizzled over some stir-fried vegetables. To make a Chinese version of this sauce, omit the curry powder and add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and an additional 1/4 cup of water.

Making A Vietnamese Peanut Sauce

A Vietnamese inspired sauce goes great with fresh salad rolls. To turn this sauce recipe into a Vietnamese inspired version, add 1/4 cup of hoisin sauce, 1 to 2 tsp of chilli-garlic sauce (or Siracha), and optional juice of 1/2 lime.

Cook the onion and garlic in a saucepan. Add the remaining ingredients for the peanut sauce and heat through. Stir until well combined and desired consistency is achieved.

Recipe Notes

What Can I Use Instead of Peanut Butter?

As with most peanut butter recipes you can substitute in another nut butter, such as almond butter or cashew butter. They all have similar nutritional benefits and all offer their own unique, nutty taste. I love making an almond butter sauce with this recipe as a base and adding in 1/2 cup of coconut milk.

How Long Will It Last In The Fridge?

This recipe will stay good in the fridge for at least 4 days if stored in a sealed container.

Making It Vegan

Swap out the honey for maple syrup. If you do not want the flavour of maple syrup in your peanut sauce, try using coconut sugar instead.

Making A Gluten-Free Peanut Sauce

This recipe is naturally gluten-free, though some vegetable stocks do contain gluten so be sure to purchase a certified gluten-free vegetable stock if you are serving this to anyone with celiac disease.

Making It Nut-Free

This peanut sauce can be made using tahini in place of peanut butter. Tahini is made with roasted sesame seeds and has a more subtle but earthy flavour.

What Do I Serve It With?

This sauce is so versatile and you can adjust the consistency with the amount of water you add. Some dishes are better with a thicker sauce, while others go with a thinner sauce. Try some of these serving options:

• Have it with steamed vegetables and boiled eggs on top of brown rice for an Indonesian-inspired dish.
• Add an additional 1/4 cup of water and have it as a dipping sauce for spring rolls, salad rolls or dumplings.
• Reduce the amount of water by 1/4 and use it as a sauce for a peanut-satay tofu sandwich or wrap.
• Drizzle this sauce on your next stir-fry.
• Use up any leftover sauce as a dip for cut-up raw carrots, cucumbers and cauliflower.

Want Some More Peanut Butter Recipes?

I love sharing both savoury and sweet peanut butter recipes. Here are some of my favourites:

• Seedy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
• No-Bake 100 Calorie Peanut Butter Energy Balls
• High Protein Steel Cut Oats with Peanut Butter
• Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Sami's Easy Peanut Sauce | 6 Ingredients

A simple a versatile peanut sauce that goes great on Buddha Bowls, sauteed vegetables, or as a dip for salad rolls. Use it for an Indonesian style Gado Gado with steamed vegetables, rice and boiled egg.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indonesian

Keyword: Peanut Satay Recipe, Peanut Sauce and Vegetables, Peanut Sauce Stir-Fry

Servings: 4

Calories: 320kcal

Author: Rachel @ The Conscious Dietitian

Ingredients

For the Peanut Sauce

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup peanut butter natural
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp seeded mustard
• 1 cup organic vegetable stock or water
• salt and pepper to taste to taste

To Serve for Indonesian Gado Gado

• 4 eggs free-range
• 1 small head cauliflower
• 1 small head broccoli
• 2 medium carrots
• steamed rice optional
• crushed peanuts optional

Instructions

• To make the peanut sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the garlic and curry powder and let fry for about 30 seconds.
• Add the 3/4 cup of vegetable stock or water, peanut butter, honey and seeded mustard and stir to combine. Once the mixture has boiled and is well combined, assess the consistency of the sauce. If you would prefer a more runny sauce add the remaining vegetable stock or water. Depending on your peanut butter, you may need to use a whisk to get the peanut sauce to a smooth consistency. Season to taste. Now the sauce is ready to use as you like!
• If you want to make Gado Gado, start by putting the eggs on to boil. My method for hard boil eggs is to first place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with tap water. Place on medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Let boil for about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the eggs sit in the boiled water, covered, for a further 5 minutes for a medium-boiled egg. Drain the water and run the eggs under cool water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
• Next prepare the vegetables by washing them and cutting them up into bite-sized pieces. Place in a steamer and let steam for about 5 minutes or until just tender.
• Shell the boiled eggs and slice each egg into 4 sections. Divide the steamed rice if using into 4 bowls, top with vegetables, peanut sauce and one boiled egg per bowl. Optional to sprinkled with crushed peanuts.

Notes

Peanut Butter Alternatives

As with most peanut butter recipes you can substitute in another nut butter, such as almond butter or cashew butter. 

How Long Will It Last In The Fridge?

This recipe will stay good in the fridge for at least 4 days if stored in a sealed container.

Vegan Peanut Sauce

Swap out the honey for maple syrup. If you do not want the flavour of maple syrup in your peanut sauce, try using coconut sugar instead.

Gluten-Free Peanut Sauce

Purchase a certified gluten-free vegetable stock if you are serving this to anyone with celiac disease.

Making It Nut-Free

This peanut sauce can be made using tahini in place of peanut butter. 

Serving Options

This peanut sauce is so versatile and you can adjust the consistency with the amount of water you add. Try some of these serving options:

• Have it with steamed vegetables and boiled eggs on top of brown rice for an Indonesian-inspired dish.
• Add an additional 1/4 cup of water and have it as a dipping sauce for spring rolls, salad rolls, or dumplings.
• Reduce the amount of water by 1/4 and use it as a sauce for a peanut-satay tofu sandwich or wrap.
• Drizzle this peanut sauce on your next stir-fry.
• Use up any leftover peanut sauce as a dip for cut-up raw carrots, cucumbers, and cauliflower.

Nutrition Analysis was done with brown rice, vegetables, and no eggs.

Nutrition

Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 20g | Sodium: 70mg | Potassium: 435mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin C: 8.3mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1.8mg

Rachel

Rachel Dickens is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator. She graduated with her Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics in 2010 from Griffith University and is currently a PhD student at UBC. She strives to provide evidence-based nutrition information with a focus on Indigenous Food Sovereignty while sharing diabetes-friendly recipes and tips for diabetes prevention.

theconsciousdietitian.com/about

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