Beef rice bowls with Thai peanut and lime sauce

1. To make the sauce add curry paste and peanut butter to a medium saucepan and place over low heat. Stirring constantly, cook for 1-2 minutes or until the oil starts to separate and the mixture is very malleable.

2. Add the coconut milk and lime juice and zest, then slowly add the maple syrup and fish sauce to taste. Cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute to allow the flavours to meld, then remove from the heat. Add the sesame oil, if using.

3. To assemble flash-fry some beef or any other protein. Add to a bowl with some steamed rice and whatever vegies you have on hand – I used cucumber ribbons sliced using a peeler and some bean shoots, but any greens in the crisper would work well with this. Drizzle over a generous amount of Thai peanut sauce, sprinkle with fried shallots and serve.

Note: Leftover sauce can be stored in the fridge for 3 days or frozen.

Other ways with the sauce:

Thin the sauce out with chicken or vegetable stock, add extra sliced fresh chilli and use as the base for a laksa.

Serve as a dipping sauce for roasted chicken.

Roast and blitz some pumpkin with stock and sauce for a hearty soup.