Indonesian people rarely eat a meal or a savory snack without a variety of Sambal (spicy paste, usually including chilies, a mix of spices, fruits, vegetables or peanuts) or sauce. In traditional Indonesian cuisine these sambal varieties are usually made using the traditional stone pestle and mortar, where the ingredients are gradually pasted and mixed, but for you at home who may not want to put in some elbow grease, you can make these using a food processor/blender.
Once you go to Bali, you will taste many varieties of sambals with the different foods you eat there, and after a while, you too get hooked up on the flavors that these sauces/pastes/dips pack into the food. They definitely lift up the food, and add much depth, some heat and make the food way more interesting. Even with steamed rice, the sambal turns it into a treat. I will share a variety of Sambals for you to try at home so make sure to give them a try.
This Sambal Kacang or peanut satay dip is used to accompany grilled meats, most famous of which the chicken satay, however, also served with beef, mutton and other meats. It is also used in salad dressings and as dip next to shrimp crackers.. This is how you can make it at home.
PS this sambal will keep for months in an airtight container in the fridge, ready to use at any time. It will give you about 1.5 cups