Peanut Coconut Sauce
If you enjoy spicy food and your ethnic cuisine incorporates a lot of heat, you probably want to introduce these foods to your baby at some point. I am Korean and spicy foods, like kimchi and red chili paste, are my family’s jam! Personally, I LOVE Thai cuisine. So much so that I’ve taken many cooking classes to learn how to make all of my favorite dishes at home. Thai curry paste is a staple ingredient in my pantry and my kids were exposed to it since they were around 12 months.
Which Thai Curry Paste to use for this Peanut Sauce?
Red curry paste
There are several varieties that you can use for this sauce. But red curry paste is the most versatile, and it’s what I always have on hand. It is quite spicy so if you choose to use this one, start with just 1/2 teaspoon. You can always add more after seeing how your baby handles it. Keep in mind that dried Asian chilies, one of the main ingredients in curry paste, are milder than those from other parts of the world, like the Caribbean and Mexico.
Massaman Curry Paste
Massaman curry paste is also a great choice. This is a really unique one in that it contains ingredients that are commonly found in Indian and Persian cuisine, such as cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, and nutmeg along with Thai ingredients, like lemongrass and galangal. It’s a lovely melding of these two cuisines. It tastes slightly smokey, nutty, and mildly spicy.
Yellow Curry Paste (Kaeng Kari)
If you really want to avoid the heat but want to introduce your child to the Thai flavors, go with this one. With turmeric as one of its main ingredients, it is mild and slightly sweet tasting. It also contains cinnamon, mace, lemongrass, fenugreek, and coriander.
Ingredients
Curry paste – choose any of the ones suggested above. I like the maesri brand. It is less spicier than others and more flavorful Coconut milk – The key ingredient in helping mellow out the spice from the curry paste. It will also help loosen the peanut butter into a velvety consistency. Since there are only three ingredients, you really want to use a good one without any emulsifiers and stabilizers. I’ve found that Arroy-D and Chaokoh work best. Smooth peanut butter – You can use homemade or store-bought. Just make sure the only ingredient is peanuts and nothing else. If it’s been refrigerated, be sure to bring to room temperature so it will blend easily with the other ingredients.
How to make Peanut Sauce for babies and kids
Simply whisk the 3 ingredients together!
Tips for Success
After whisking all the ingredients together, if you desire a thinner consistency, add more coconut milk (one tablespoon at a time) or water if you feel it’s plenty coconut-y tasting. Let your taste buds guide you. For a touch of freshness and a burst of flavor, add some cilantro and lime juice.
Storage Suggestions
Store in an air tight container and keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. It will taste better with time as the flavors get a chance to meld. It will thicken up upon refrigeration so stir in a little more water or coconut milk to desired consistency.
Serving Suggestions
Stir it in with pasta, lentils, oatmeal, quinoa as a salad dressing as a spread for toast, sandwiches, or wraps As a dip for raw or cooked vegetables or spring rolls! As a marinade for chicken (like this peanut butter chicken), pork, tofu
Other recipes to try: Vegetable Tortilla Roll Ups, Thai Red Curry Pasta Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating below and let me know how you liked the recipe! Your feedback means so much to me!
