A Sauce so Nice They Named it Twice

An interesting sauce by Shoshanna Levy of Foodista.  Can't wait to try it.  I've made one modification to fit my diet.

The complex flavors of Asian cooking are definitely my favorite. Although, it's a toss up between Thai and Indonesian, this gado gado sauce may just give Indonesian food the edge. It's easy to prepare and can be used for a traditional vegetable salad or as a sauce for a stir-fry. It's excellent for vegetarians since the peanut butter is good source of protein and fat. If you have peanut allergies, then replace peanut with almond butter.

Gado Gado Sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chunky peanut butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 med white onion, chopped
2 sm shallots, minced
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp rapadura or sustainable palm sugar  Xylosweet
1 tbsp wheat free tamari sauce
2 cups filtered water
Lime, juiced

Preparation

1. In a skillet over medium-low heat, saute garlic and onions until soft but not brown
2. Add shallots and continue to saute until soft.
3. Next, add peanut butter and water and stir until thoroughly mixed; cook until first bubbles appear.
4. Add chili powder, soy sauce, sugar, and lime juice.
5. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes;  stirring frequently

Although soy sauce and tamari [tuh-MAHR-ee] are both made from fermented soybeans, Japanese tamari is thicker, darker, and richer than its counterpart. Think of it as the kinder, gentler (and less salty) soy sauce. It has a more complex, smooth flavor compared to the sometimes harsh, overwhelming bite of a salty soy sauce.

Soy sauce comes in “dark” and “light,” but don’t let the name fool you. “Light” soy sauce (not to be confused with “lite,” aka low-sodium) is thinner, but tends to be saltier than dark soy. Chinese black soy is made very dark and thick because of the addition of molasses.

Both soy sauce and tamari contain wheat, but wheat-free versions of tamari are available in most Asian groceries, making it ideal for anyone on a gluten-free diet.