This Southeast Asian dish is a foodie’s delight
A popular dish in Indonesia and neighboring countries, satay is a blend of grilled, skewered, and marinated meat. It is usually accompanied with a saucy dip.
Recipe for Chicken Satay
Ingredients for the Chicken
Coconut milk- 1/3 c.
Lemongrass- 1 stalk
Ground turmeric- 1 tbsp
Boneless and skinless chicken thighs- 1.5 lb
Brown sugar- 2 tbsp
Lime juice- 2 tbsp
Fish sauce- 2 tbsp
Shallot- 1
Garlic cloves – 2
Chili paste- 1.5 tbsp
Fresh ginger- 1 tbsp
Ingredients for the Peanut Sauce
Reserved marinade- 1/4 c.
Smooth peanut butter- 1/2 c.
Lime juice- 1 tbsp
Soy sauce (low sodium)- 1 tbsp
Lime zest- 1 tbsp
Freshly grated ginger- 1 tbsp
Garlic clove- 1
Peanuts- 10-12
Boiling water- 1/4 c.
Cilantro- 12 to 15 leaves
Steps to Make Chicken Satay
Fill a bowl with cold water and soak bamboo skewers for 20 minutes.
Take a stalk of lemongrass and remove the outer layer. Smash and chop into 1-inch pieces.
In a saucepan, add lemongrass and coconut milk and keep the flame at medium. Let them boil. Once these ingredients are boiled, turn off the flame and leave them to cool down for at least the next 10 minutes.
Strain and reserve lemongrass for the marinade.
Chop the chicken into 1-inch pieces.
Take another bowl, start tossing turmeric and chicken together so that the meat is properly coated.
Next, put coconut milk, sugar, fish sauce, chopped garlic, lime juice, shallot, chili paste, ginger in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Now, put aside ¼ cup of this marinade for the peanut sauce.
Pour the remaining marinade and lemongrass into the same chicken bowl and start tossing.
For the best coat, leave the mix at room temperature for 25 minutes, or you can also keep it in the refrigerator for up to two hours.
In a medium bowl, whisk all sauce ingredients till combined well.
Set the flame on medium and preheat the pan.
Now, remove chicken from the marinade and spear four pieces on one skewer and leave to grill nicely.
When one side of the chicken is cooked, flip it, and cook the other side as well.
Check if the chicken is cooked through and slightly charred. If you feel the chicken is still uncooked, keep grilling.
The grilling process takes around four to five minutes on each side.
Once grilled, sprinkle satay chicken with chopped peanuts along with cilantro.
Serve the dish with fresh peanut sauce.
Recipe Notes
You can also bake the chicken instead of grilling.
If you are left with uncooked satay, then you can store it in the refrigerator. Make sure you wrap it properly in aluminum foil.
You can marinate the chicken overnight.
Serve cucumber and raw onions with the chicken satay—they have complementary flavors.
