Take dumplings to the next level
This spicy peanut sauce uses common ingredients and is as quick and easy to make as boiling water.
My peanut sauce recipe is easy because it uses what I normally have kicking around the kitchen. Other peanut sauce recipes use upwards of 10 ingredients that are not only more expensive, but also require more prep time.
The ingredients might sound a little weird, but the combination of sweet, sour, and spicy flavours is kind of addictive—don’t bash it until you try it.
Fun fact: the sweet flavour is a result of the fact that most peanut butter has sugar in it.
My old roommate and good friend Joyce introduced me to Chinese dumplings and peanut sauce. If you’ve never had dumplings, you’re missing out on deliciousness that tastes like the best possible hybridization of perogies and meatballs.
Dumplings are available in the frozen food section of most grocery stores and come in a range of fillings; my favourite is pork and coriander. Dumplings are cooked similarly to perogies; all you need to do is boil them, wait for them to float, and then boil them some more.
This spicy peanut sauce recipe makes a good amount of sauce for one serving of dumplings.
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter (I use Kraft, but you can use any kind)
1 teaspoon sriracha sauce, or to taste
3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce, or to taste
1 to 2 tablespoon hot water, freshly boiled
DIRECTIONS
Place all of the ingredients—except the water—in a bowl and mix until well incorporated.
Add freshly boiled hot water and mix until smooth.
Try dipping your favourite dumplings, Vietnamese fresh spring rolls, or crackers. Enjoy!
Photos by Mirali Almaula/The Ontarion