Satay Sauce

I have a relatively new love for curry.  I've not cared for it much in the past, likely because of the spice level that it is served with.  I always order "zero" spice on a scale of 1-4 also known as "Wisconsin Spice".  I took a class recently that was taught by the owner/operator of Sen Yai Sen lek, Big Noodle, Little Noodle.  This is consistently rated one of the best Thai restaurants in the Twin Cities.  It's a very cool place in NE Minneapolis, not far from "The U".  He has been at the restaurant every time I've been there and I enjoy that.  I've spent a lot of my career financing businesses like his and truly appreciate how his is a "labor of love".  He is also active in the community and talks lovingly of his wife and children.  Super sweet!  The class that I took was Spicy Thai Street Food.  Most of it was a little too hot for me, which is one of the reasons I love to cook.  I can adapt cool recipes to my own taste.  This is one example.  He sI served this as a Chicken Satay, which means that the chicken was marinated in a curry peanut sauce, then grilled, and served with more yummy sauce.  You can add spice by adding chopped thai chiles.  I did not add any when I made this at home.  Now, I keep a jar of this in the frig all the time.  I almost panicked when I thought that I lost this recipe.  Thus the motivation to share this with you.  

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp. massaman curry paste.
• 2  cups coconut milk.
• 1/2 cup peanut butter.  I used creamy, Skippy brand.  I was surprised that he used this, so I didn't vear off, for a change.
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 3 tbsp. fish sauce.
• 2 tbsp. tamarind juice.  This is available at Asian Grocery stores.  If you don't have it, no big deal.
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Process:

1. Heat 1/2 cup of the coconut milk, over medium heat, until the cream and oil begin to separate.
2. Mix curry and peanut butter and stir into cream.
3. Add the remaining coconut milk and stir.  
4. Reduce heat and add remaining ingredients, to taste.  

Easy ingredients to keep in the house.  It takes less than 5 minutes to make.  One dirty pan.  Can you beat that?  

As I said, I keep this in the frig. in a covered glass jar.  I used canning jars or a clean salsa jar for this kind of stuff.  I have topped scrambled eggs, veggies, and rice noodles, all together.  

I had a really nice, big, organic eggplant in the house.  I don't know what I spent on it, but it was the only one they had out at the co op.  I felt obligated to use it all.  I sliced some of the skin off and sliced it in small cubes (1/2 inch).  I roasted that in a cast iron pan.  I combined this with different veggies and scrambled eggs, topped with this sauce.  It was really great.  Joe said that his wife likes this on toast.  Idea?  I'm not a "chicken lover", but this is one thing I really like on chicken. My friend, David, asked for this recipe.  He said that his kids love this on chicken.  I hope you enjoy it, too.