Peanut Curry Sauce
Red curry paste and fish sauce come together in this seafood β 60 minutes, 7 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 7 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for oven and grill / broiler. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's pescatarian β fish but no meat.
What you'll need
Shopping list (2)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
π Unit converter
How to make it
- Pulse the roasted peanuts in a food processor until finely ground but still slightly textured, stopping before they turn into a paste.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add the red curry paste, and fry it for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant and the oil takes on its colour.
- Pour in about half of the coconut milk and stir constantly, letting it bubble and split slightly to release the aromatics.
- Stir in the ground peanuts along with the remaining coconut milk and the water, mixing until smooth.
- Add the fish sauce and sugar, then simmer gently for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove from the heat and stir through the lemon or lime juice, then taste and balance with more fish sauce, sugar, or citrus as needed.
- Loosen with a splash of warm water if it becomes too thick, then serve warm with satay skewers, grilled chicken, or steamed vegetables.
You'll use: Oven Β· Grill / broiler Β· Frying pan / skillet Β· Saucepan Β· Pan
Ingredient substitutions
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk Β· Β½ cup evaporated milk + Β½ cup water
- Fish Sauce
- soy sauce + a pinch of salt
- Brown Sugar
- white sugar + 1 tbsp molasses per cup
- Lemon
- lime Β· 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
Tips & common questions
How long does Peanut Curry Sauce take to make?
About 60 minutes from start to finish β an estimate based on the 7 steps and 8 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of milk?
Try any unsweetened plant milk. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes β use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Peanut Curry Sauce is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Chowki, Soho, London (3695703512).jpg by Ewan Munro from London, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top β how we source recipes.