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Peanut sauce for sate, ground on a stone mortar

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IDR 350.000per guest, shared class

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Bumbu kacang, peanut sauce as it is made in Bali: fried peanuts ground on a stone mortar with chili, garlic, and shallot, then simmered with palm sugar.

By Chef Wayan Suryana, Warung Tumang BaliLast updated

Serves About 1 cup, for 4·Prep 15 minutes·Cook 15 minutes

Peanut sauce for sate in short

Fry raw peanuts in coconut oil until golden, then grind them on a stone mortar with fried shallot, garlic, chili, and a pinch of salt. Simmer the paste with palm sugar, kecap manis, lime leaves, and water for 8 to 10 minutes, until oil shows at the edge. Finish with lime juice. It makes about a cup in 30 minutes.

A guest spooning fried peanuts and shallot into a stone mortar beside chopped chili, garlic, and lemongrass in Petulu, from the Petulu class where peanut sauce for sate is cooked
Stone mortars set out with diced corn and peanuts on the blue class table in Petulu, from the Petulu class where peanut sauce for sate is cooked
Satay sticks, roasted peanuts, and grilled meat on a banana leaf in Petulu, from the Petulu class where peanut sauce for sate is cooked
Satay skewers grilling over charcoal beside the Petulu kitchen, from the Petulu class where peanut sauce for sate is cooked

Bumbu kacang is ground, not blended from a jar of peanut butter. Fried peanuts go into the stone mortar with fried shallot, garlic, and chili, and the paste is simmered until the oil shows at the edge.

The finished sauce should be sandy-smooth and pourable, sweet from palm sugar, sharp from lime. It goes on chicken sate, tempeh, and steamed vegetables.

Peanut sauce for sate ingredients

  • 150g raw peanuts with skins, or unsalted roasted peanuts
  • Coconut oil, for frying
  • 2 shallots, sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1–3 bird’s eye chilies
  • 1 small piece kencur, peeled (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped palm sugar
  • 1–2 tablespoons kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
  • 2 kaffir lime leaves
  • About 250ml water
  • Salt
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice

How to make peanut sauce for sate

  1. Fry the raw peanuts in a shallow layer of coconut oil over medium heat, stirring, until golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Lift them out; they crisp as they cool. Fry the shallot and garlic in the same oil until soft and golden. Skip the peanut frying if yours are already roasted.
  2. In a stone mortar, grind the chilies, kencur, fried shallot, and garlic with a pinch of salt to a paste. Add the peanuts a handful at a time and grind to a coarse, sandy paste. A food processor works in short pulses.
  3. Scrape the paste into a small pan with the palm sugar, kecap manis, lime leaves, and water. Simmer on low heat, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes, until it thickens and a little oil shows at the edges. Add water if it gets too thick.
  4. Season with salt and lime juice. Serve warm over sate, or thin it with a little more water for vegetables.

The oil at the edge is how you know it has cooked; raw peanut paste tastes flat. Kecap manis brands vary in sweetness, so add it a spoon at a time after the palm sugar.

Peanut sauce for sate questions

Can I use peanut butter for sate sauce?
It works in a hurry, but it tastes flatter and sweeter. Fried whole peanuts, ground coarse, give the sandy texture and roasted flavor of the Bali version.
Why is my peanut sauce gritty?
It has not simmered long enough. Keep it on low heat, stirring, until it thickens and a little oil shows at the edges. The texture smooths as it cooks.
Is peanut sauce vegan?
This version is: peanuts, aromatics, palm sugar, sweet soy, and lime. Some cooks add shrimp paste; leave it out for a plant-based table.
How long does peanut sauce keep?
Three days covered in the fridge. It thickens when cold; loosen it with warm water over low heat.

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IDR 350.000per guest, shared class

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