Southeast Asian Pesto

Name: Southeast Asian Pesto
Ingredients: 1/2 cup thai basil leaves; 1/2 cup mint leaves; 1/4 cup cilantro; 1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts; 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice, more to taste; 1-2 tablespoons good quality fish sauce or soy sauce; 1-2 small fresh chili (~1-2 tsp chopped), or to taste; 1-2 large pinches of sugar; 1 garlic clove, optional; neutral cooking oil

10 ingredients

3 steps

Ingredients

1/2 cup thai basil leaves
1/2 cup mint leaves
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice, more to taste
1-2 tablespoons good quality fish sauce or soy sauce
1-2 small fresh chili (~1-2 tsp chopped), or to taste
1-2 large pinches of sugar
1 garlic clove, optional
neutral cooking oil

Directions

1

Put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulverize. Use the soy sauce if you want a vegetarian/vegan pesto. Slowly drip in oil until you get a paste. The pesto should be somewhat smooth with no big chunks. Taste and adjust to your preference. I usually like a balance of salty/tart/sweet with a little hit of heat.
2

Use immediately or freeze for later use.
3

Delicious as a dressing in a noodle salad bowl or as a condiment for fish, chicken, and meat.