Bumbu Kacang (Indonesian Peanut Sauce)

August 23, 2025

Bumbu Kacang (Indonesian Peanut Sauce) - kvalifood.com

Bumbu kacang is the peanut sauce used for gado-gado and pecel in Indonesia. Unlike a simple satay dipping sauce, it gets its distinctive character from kencur (lesser galangal) and kaffir lime leaves. The peanuts are fried, ground with a spice paste, and simmered with palm sugar and tamarind into a thick, pourable sauce.

Makes ca. 500 ml

Ingredients

250 g raw peanuts
3 red chilies (cayenne or Dutch red), deseeded for milder sauce
3 bird’s eye chilies, to taste
4 cloves garlic, peeled
3 cm piece kencur (lesser galangal), peeled
3 kaffir lime leaves, spines removed, very thinly sliced
80 g palm sugar (gula Jawa), shaved or chopped
1 tsp tamarind pulp, soaked in 2 tbsp warm water and strained
1 tsp salt, to taste
300-400 ml warm water
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 lime, juice of

Directions

Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Fry the peanuts, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.

In the same oil, fry the red chilies, bird’s eye chilies, garlic, and kencur over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until softened and fragrant. Remove from heat.

Grind the fried peanuts in a food processor or mortar to a coarse paste. Some texture is desirable.

Grind the fried aromatics with the palm sugar, strained tamarind water, salt, and sliced kaffir lime leaves until you have a rough paste.

Combine the peanut paste and spice paste. Transfer to a saucepan, add 300 ml warm water, and stir well. Simmer over medium-low heat for 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and oil begins to separate. Add more water if the sauce is too thick.

Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice. Adjust salt, sugar, and lime to taste. The sauce should balance sweet, sour, salty, and nutty.

Notes

Kencur has a unique camphor-like aroma that defines this sauce. Dried or powdered kencur (1 tsp) works in a pinch, but fresh is best. Do not substitute galangal or ginger.
Keeps 3-4 days refrigerated. Thickens when cold – reheat with a splash of water. For longer storage, freeze the paste before adding water.
For a shelf-stable dry version (pecel style), skip step 5. Store the combined paste in the freezer and reconstitute with hot water when needed.
Replace half the water with coconut milk for a richer East Javanese style.
Serve warm over blanched vegetables, boiled potato, fried tofu, tempeh, and hard-boiled egg with rice cakes and krupuk.