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© Copyright 1995-2023, Clay Irving <clay@panix.com>, Manhattan Beach, CA USA
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Recipe from: Clay Irving
I just made an Asian pesto based an a recipe I got from Asian Ingredients, A guide to the Foodstuffs of China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam by Bruce Cost. Wow! It is really good.
1 ½ cups Asian basil leaves, tighly packed — I used Thai basil, bai horapha
¼ cup Asian mint leaves, tightly packed — what's "Asian" mint?
¼ cup cilantro leaves, tightly packed
1 cup peanut oil
½ cup raw peanuts — It takes some time to remove the peanuts from the shell and remove the papery skin
2 small fresh green chiles — I used 3 Thai prik ki nu
4 large garlic cloves
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice — I juiced a whole lemon
Combine the herbs in a bowl and set aside.
Heat oil in a small skill until nearly smoking, then remove from the heat and add the peanuts. Allow to sit until lightly browned. Remove the nuts with a slotted spoon and drain, reserving the oil.
Put the peanuts in a food processor or blender and blend to a rough paste. Add the chiles, ginger, and garlic, and continue to blend. Add the herbs and a little of the reserved peanut oil, and continue to blend. Add the salt, sugar, and lemon juice, and blend until the herbs are very finely minced.
Note:
The peanuts, garlic, and ginger didn't mix well in the blender. After I added the herbs and some oil, everything mixed well. Next time, I'll use the mortar and pestle.