Sate Ayam (Chicken Sate) 沙嗲雞肉串

Indonesian chicken sate, featuring tender chicken pieces marinated in aromatic spices, skewered, and grilled to perfection. It's served with a rich, savory, and slightly sweet peanut sauce.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ingredients

• 500g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2cm cubes
• 80g shallots, peeled
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 inch piece galangal, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 inch piece fresh turmeric, peeled and roughly chopped (or 1 tsp turmeric powder)
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 0.5 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp tamarind paste (concentrate)
• 4 tbsp sweet soy sauce (Kecap Manis)
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp white pepper
• 4 tbsp cooking oil, plus extra for grilling
• 200g unsalted roasted peanuts
• 3 red chilies, deseeded and roughly chopped (adjust to taste)
• 2 candlenuts
• 2 kaffir lime leaves
• 100ml coconut milk
• 100ml water
• 1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving
• 0.5 red onion, thinly sliced, for serving
• Wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

Steps

1. Prepare the chicken: Cut the chicken thighs into 2cm cubes. Soak the wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from burning on the grill.
2. Make the chicken marinade paste: In a blender or food processor, combine shallots, garlic, galangal, fresh turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, brown sugar, 1 tbsp tamarind paste, 2 tbsp sweet soy sauce, 1 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp white pepper, and 2 tbsp cooking oil. Blend until a smooth paste is formed.
3. Marinate the chicken: In a bowl, combine the diced chicken with the marinade paste. Mix well, ensuring all chicken pieces are coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours for best flavor.
4. Skewer the chicken: Thread the marinated chicken pieces onto the soaked wooden skewers. Try to pack them evenly but not too tightly.
5. Prepare the peanut sauce: In a blender or food processor, combine roasted peanuts, 30g shallots (from total 80g), 2 cloves garlic (from total 5 cloves), red chilies, and candlenuts. Blend until a coarse paste forms, adding a little water if needed.
6. Cook the peanut sauce: Heat the remaining cooking oil (2 tbsp) in a pan over medium heat. Sauté the peanut paste until fragrant. Add kaffir lime leaves, coconut milk, remaining sweet soy sauce (2 tbsp), remaining tamarind paste (1 tbsp), remaining brown sugar (1 tbsp), remaining salt (0.5 tsp), and water. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency. Remove kaffir lime leaves.
7. Grill the sate: Preheat a grill (charcoal or gas) to medium-high heat. Lightly brush the skewered chicken with extra cooking oil or any leftover marinade. Grill for 12-15 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and has nice char marks. You can also baste the sate with more sweet soy sauce during grilling for extra flavor and glaze.
8. Serve: Arrange the grilled chicken sate on a platter. Serve immediately with the warm peanut sauce, fresh lime wedges, and thinly sliced red onion. Optionally, serve with rice cakes (ketupat or lontong).

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