Peanut Lemak Curry
If you don’t already have a jar of peanut butter at home, get one pronto, and get working! This is one of my favourite dishes to cook up when I want something comforting and delicious.
POLL: Are you team smooth or team chunky? Let me know!
I use shiitake mushrooms and snow peas in this one, but feel free to add some tofu or chicken if you like!
THE RECIPE
SERVES 2
Ingredients
2 chilli padi (birds eye chilli), de-seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic
4” ginger, roughly chopped
4 small shallots
4 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
3 stalks lemongrass, bottom fleshy parts, finely sliced
2 tbsp neutral oil
270ml (1¼ cup) canned coconut milk
1-2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp peanut butter, smooth
Zest of 1 large green lime
Juice of ½ lime
120g snow peas, prepared (see notes)
2 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced
Salt and pepper
Sesame oil, to drizzle
For garnish: cilantro, red chilli, crushed roasted peanuts
Directions
In a food processor, combine the chilli, garlic, ginger, shallots, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass and ¼ cup water and blend until it becomes a smooth paste.
In a large pot, heat up 2 tbsp of oil over medium heat and cook the spice paste until fragrant.
Once well cooked, add in the coconut milk, fish sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, lime zest, lime juice, peanut butter, and a cup of water. Add more/less water to reach your desired consistency of the curry. Leave this to simmer for 5-8 minutes.
Add in the snow peas and mushrooms, and any other ingredients you fancy.
Season with sesame oil, salt and pepper to taste.
Turn off the heat and enjoy it with a bowl of rice!
Garnish with sliced red chilli, cilantro, and crushed roasted peanuts
Notes
Snow peas: Remove the ends, along with the thin fibrous string which runs along its side