This satay beef, pumpkin, and kaffir lime stir fry is one of my favourite cook-at-home Thai dishes. The satay flavour from the red curry paste, coconut milk, kecap manis, and peanut butter is delicious and compliments the beef and pumpkin perfectly. We’ve added some snow peas for colour and texture. The kaffir lime leaves add a beautiful flavour to the stir fry … these are readily available in supermarkets, Asian grocers, and fruit and veg shops. Pick them up when you see them and store them in a ziplock bag in the freezer so that you have them on hand.
You will need to roast the pumpkin first, so allow yourself an additional 30 minutes to prepare the pumpkin beforehand. Otherwise, this satay beef, pumpkin, and kaffir lime stir fry comes together pretty quickly and is ideal for a mid-week meal, served with steamed Jasmine rice.
You could make this vegetarian by replacing the beef with tofu. Kecap Manis is a thick, sweet soy sauce from Indonesia, it’s readily available in supermarkets and Asian grocers.
Tools and equipment you’ll need to make this dish:
- baking/roasting tray
- 30 cm fry pan
- tongs
- spatula
- chopping board
- cook’s knife
- meat tenderiser
- measuring spoons
This recipe is based on one by the Spirit House from their book Hot Wok.The Spirit House is a stunning destination restaurant and cooking school set in lush tropical gardens that will instantly transport you to Thailand. It’s located in Yandina on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.

Satay beef, pumpkin, snow pea and kaffir lime stir fry
Equipment
- 30 cm fry pan
Ingredients
- 300 g pumpkin cut into 3 cm pieces
- 500 g rump steak
- 1-2 tbsp oil for cooking
- 150 g snow peas trimmed and cut in 1/2 horizontally
- 2-3 tsp red curry paste adjust depending on the level of spiciness
- 200 ml coconut milk
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp kecap manis
- 1 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
- 3 double kaffir lime leaves finely shredded (see note below)
- Steamed Jasmine rice for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170C fan-forced, and line a tray with baking paper.
- Toss the pumpkin in some of the oil, just enough to lightly coat, and season with salt. Roast for 22-25 minutes or until just tender. While the pumpkin is roasting prepare and measure the rest of the ingredients.
- Place the beef onto a chopping board and using a meat tenderiser pound the meat a few times on each side. Remove any excess fat from the beef then cut it into thin strips, about 1-2 cm thick.
- Combine the coconut milk, fish sauce, kecap manis, and peanut butter in a jug or bowl.
- When the pumpkin is cooked remove it from the oven and set it aside while you start cooking the beef.
- Place a 30 cm frypan over medium-high heat and when hot add 1-2 teaspoons of oil to the pan. Add approximately 1/3 of the beef and cook for about 1 minute or until nicely browned. Remove from the pan to a warm plate and repeat with remaining beef.
- Next, add the snow peas to the pan and cook briefly, just long enough to add a bit of colour and soften them slightly.
- Add the beef to the pan then add the red curry paste and stir fry for a minute or two or until fragrant.
- Add pumpkin and the coconut milk mixture and simmer until heated through. Sprinkle in most of the finely chopped kaffir lime leaves, reserving some for garnish.
- Serve with steamed Jasmine rice.