Instructions

1. Cook the raw peanuts in a preheated oven - 180 degrees centigrade. Lay the peanuts out on a large tray and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring and tossing them occasionally to ensure they all cook uniformly. A useful tip - listen out to how the peanuts sound when you toss them. The peanuts sound muffled when they are raw and damp. When they are cooked, they sound hard and crackly when you toss them.
2. Cool the peanuts down and blend them in a food processor until they are slightly coarse. Leave them aside.
3. Soak the dried chillies in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes. After they have been soaked, put on washing up gloves and tear the chillies in half, shaking out most of the seeds. Put the chillies into the blender.
4. Add to the chillies the rest of the paste ingredients and puree until smooth.
5. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the lemon grass. When the oil sizzles, add the paste and saute for 3 minutes.
6. Add the tamarind paste, sugar and salt. Cook for another 3 minutes. The oil will separate out.
7. Add the peanuts, sweet soy sauce, coconut milk and water. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer until the sauce thickens and a layer of oil rises to the top. This takes about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve the sauce warm.