Thai Vegetarian Peanut Sauce

From Asian Grilling by Su-Mei Yu

Makes 1 cup

1/2 tea sea salt
4 garlic cloves minced (2 Tb)
5 arbol chiles seeded and minced
1 stalk lemongrass, tough outer layers and green parts removed, minced (1/4 c)
1 Tb minced ginger
2 shallots, minced (1/4 c)
1 c coconut milk
1 Tb soy sauce
3 Tb brown sugar
2 Tb creamy peanut butter
3 Tb tamarind juice

1. Pound the salt and garlic in a mortar with a pestle into a fine paste. One at a time, add the chiles, lemongrass, ginger and shallots, in sequence, adding each one only after the previous ingredient has been pureed and incorporated into the paste.

2. Or, if using a blender, combine all the above ingredients, add the coconut milk and puree.

3. Combine the chile paste and coconut milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly to prevent curdling, until the mixture begins to bubble, 2-3 minutes. Add the soy sauce, sugar, and peanut butter and cook, stirring to dissolve the sugar and peanut butter. When the mixture begins to boil, add the tamarind juice. Stir to mix. Cook until the liquid begins to boil again. Transfer to a bowl and let cool before serving. Or store covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.