Satay 沙嗲

Satay is a popular Southeast Asian dish of seasoned, skewered, and grilled meat, served with a peanut sauce. Malaysian satay often features tender chicken pieces marinated in a rich spice blend, then grilled to smoky perfection.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ingredients

• 600g boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 5 tbsp cooking oil (2 tbsp for marinade & sauce, 3 tbsp for grilling)
• 18-24 bamboo skewers, soaked in water
• 6 shallots, peeled (4 for marinade, 2 for sauce)
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled (3 for marinade, 2 for sauce)
• 20g fresh ginger, peeled
• 20g fresh galangal, peeled
• 3 stalks lemongrass, white part only (2 for marinade, 1 for sauce)
• 2 tbsp ground turmeric (1 tbsp for marinade, 1 tbsp for sauce)
• 2 tbsp ground coriander (1 tbsp for marinade, 1 tbsp for sauce)
• 1.5 tsp ground cumin (1 tsp for marinade, 0.5 tsp for sauce)
• 0.5 tsp white pepper
• 3 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar) (2 tbsp for marinade, 1 tbsp for sauce)
• 2 tbsp tamarind paste
• 4 tbsp warm water (for tamarind paste)
• 1.5 tsp salt (1 tsp for marinade, 0.5 tsp for sauce)
• 250g roasted peanuts, unsalted
• 1 red chili
• 1 tsp belacan (shrimp paste), toasted
• 300ml water (for sauce)
• 1 cucumber, sliced
• 1 red onion, sliced

Steps

1. Prepare Marinade: Blend shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, and lemongrass until a fine paste. Add 2 tbsp cooking oil, ground turmeric, ground coriander, ground cumin, white pepper, palm sugar, tamarind paste dissolved in warm water, and salt. Blend until well combined.
2. Marinate Chicken: In a large bowl, combine chicken thighs with the marinade paste. Mix well, ensuring all chicken pieces are coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.
3. Skewer Chicken: Thread the marinated chicken pieces onto the soaked bamboo skewers. Arrange them neatly, about 4-5 pieces per skewer.
4. Prepare Peanut Sauce Base: In a food processor, blend roasted peanuts until coarsely ground. Set aside.
5. Cook Peanut Sauce: Heat 2 tbsp cooking oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the remaining shallots, garlic, red chili, and toasted belacan until fragrant. Add the remaining lemongrass, ground turmeric, ground coriander, ground cumin, palm sugar, tamarind paste dissolved in warm water, salt, and water. Bring to a simmer.
6. Add Peanuts to Sauce: Stir in the coarsely ground peanuts into the simmering sauce. Continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
7. Grill Satay: Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Brush the chicken skewers lightly with cooking oil (the 3 tbsp allocated for grilling). Place the skewers on the hot grill.
8. Cook Satay: Grill the satay for 8-12 minutes, turning frequently and brushing with more oil occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and nicely charred on all sides.
9. Serve: Serve the hot chicken satay with the peanut sauce, sliced cucumber, and sliced red onion.

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