Peanut butter, Chilli and Tahini Dressing

This dressing is what I love most in the kitchen; a multi tasker!

There are so many ways to enjoy it…it keeps brilliantly so perhaps make double and enjoy in different ways across a week or two? Here are a few ways I love to use this gorgeous dressing:

Massaged into your favourite shredded slaw ingredients; I’d go for carrots, cabbage, sweet peppers and coriander. Stir through some black sesame for added texture and colour.

As a sauce for stir fries. When you’ve fried your meat or veg, add your noodles and a glug of this dressing, a splash of boiling water and a couple of tablespoons of your favourite soy sauce. Extra chilli if you like it hot but this dressing will transform into a gorgeous glossy sauce when heated that will coat your noodles beautifully!

In a curry. This can come together incredibly quickly. Fry off some fresh onion, garlic and ginger (1 x onion, 2 x garlic cloves, 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger), add a couple of teaspoons of turmeric and fry until just beginning to colour. Add a generous glug of your dressing, a splash of water and fry until it smells aromatic and delicious. Season well and add a can of coconut milk. I like to poach my veg and chicken in the curry sauce, so chop any veg into appropriate sizes and add to the sauce with a splash of hot water from the kettle. When your veg is tender, stir through some noodles, taste and amend the seasoning if required, or add some more dressing if you feel it needs it. Finish with a handful of chopped coriander and garnish with sliced spring onions, chilli and a few peanuts for texture.

Although it feels particularly good with a classic ‘slaw’ mix, this dressing is also wonderful with julienned (batons of) carrot, cucumber, spring onion and sweet peppers for a delicious accompaniment to a different curry or stir fry. Throw in some leftover cooked rice and stir fry on a high heat for an absolutely delicious speedy lunch too!

Ingredients

Makes 500ml dressing

250g peanut butter of your choosing (we use a palm oil free, organic PB)

50ml oil of your choice (a high quality rapeseed oil, or our Citizens of Soil Olive Oil is great here)

130ml rice wine vinegar

50ml approx. of agave nectar/honey (start with half and adjust to taste)

Bunch coriander

Half a fresh red chilli

Half a thumb sized piece of fresh ginger

½ tsp ground ginger

2 x cloves confit garlic*

60ml tahini (we sell a cracking tahini at Sabzi)

Water, to loosen

Chilli flakes, to taste

Method

If you have a food processor, simply peel the ginger, wash your herbs, and chuck everything (except the water) in to blitz up! Once it’s getting smooth, start to gently dribble your water into the dressing as it blitzes until it reaches your desired consistency – it should be like really thick double cream. Taste, and as always tweak to your liking – it should be rich, with a gorgeous piquant tang. Sweet, spicy, tangy and creamy. And wonderfully, gloriously, flexible!!

Chef’s Note

* Obviously in the kitchen at Sabzi we confit big trays of garlic regularly but at home try peeling 6 or 8 cloves, covering with oil, and gently warming on the hob while you’re doing other things in the kitchen. Cook until the garlic is buttery soft and sweet and keep in the fridge for dressings and cooking through the week – it’s SO much more delicious than raw and you’ll keep finding ways to use it once it’s there