Thai basil pesto

Try a spoonful of this Thai basil pesto stirred through noodles, added to stir-fries or in a salad. The Vietnamese mint adds quite an intense flavour, experiment and play around adding your favourite Asian herbs to this recipe.

Credit: Tammi Kwok

• makes

  400 ml

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  5 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 125 ml (½ cup) peanut oil 
• 75 g raw peanuts 
• 1 bunch Thai basil, leaves only
• 25 Vietnamese mint leaves
• 1 large green chilli, seeds removed
• 30 ml lime juice 
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• ½ tsp grated ginger
• 1 clove garlic

Cooling time: 1 hour

Instructions

1. Heat peanut oil over medium heat. Add peanuts and cook until just golden, remove using a slotted spoon. Allow both peanuts and oil to cool.

2. Place remaining ingredients in food processor with peanuts and oil. Blend until smooth. Place in glass jar, cover with a layer of peanut oil and keep in the refrigerator. Keeps for 2 weeks.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.