There are many versions of chicken satay with peanut sauce in Asia, but the one that I will share the recipe is a special chicken satay from Indonesia. Chicken satay is a traditional Indonesian food and is very well known in Indonesia. You can find chicken satay in 5 star hotels, big and small restaurants, wedding and birthday parties, and also from the street vendor food seller which usually only sell chicken satay at night.
Indonesian chicken satay is different than any other versions from other countries. The way we make the peanut sauce is also different. We only use fresh pan-fried peanuts and not peanut butter.
Indonesian version of chicken satay and sauce are very rich in flavor with the additional sweet soy sauce which increase the flavor. The only chicken satay with peanut sauce that I like is the one from Indonesia and that is why I always choose to make the satay myself when I really want to eat it. This is just a matter of preference, and since I’ve been eating this kind of satay since I was a kid, this taste is the one that suites me the best.
To make an Indonesian version of chicken satay, we will marinate the chicken first before grilling it. Since we will dip the satay into the sauce mixture, the ingredients to marinate the chicken would be very simple. Fried garlic and fried shallots which are very common to use in Indonesian dishes also help to enrich the taste of the satay and the sauce.
There is, of course, quite a big difference between homemade satay and the one that we buy from the restaurants or street vendors. Homemade satay usually doesn’t use charcoal to grill the satay, and I must say that charcoal grill satay has a better taste than stove-top or oven grilled satay. But on the positive side, homemade satay is healthier because charcoal cooking might not be a healthy option, so let’s just enjoy homemade satay.
By the way, to make the satay more delicious, satay sellers usually mixes the chicken meat and the fat, and some people even like the fat better than the meat. I didn’t use any fat buy you can choose to do so. For healthier cooking, just use the meat only. In Indonesia, chicken satay is usually served with lontong or rice cakes wrapped in banana leaves. You can also eat satay with rice.
In Indonesia, there are also various kinds of satay and the recipe is different from one city to another. I will definitely try another satay recipe from other cities in Indonesia next time.
Ingredients:
For the satay:
- 2 chicken breasts and 3 chicken tights (no skin and no bones), cut into 1.5 x 1.5 cm
- lemon juice from 1/2 lemon
- 3 garlic, grated
- 1 thumb of ginger, grated
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 5 tbsp. sweet soy sauce
- 8 tbsp garlic oil
- Bamboo skewers, soaked in cold water for 15 minutes
For the peanut sauce:
- 200 gr pan-fried (or roasted) peanuts
- 500 ml of water, divided
- 7 lime leaves
- 3 candle nuts, stir fry in a non-stick pan until fragrant and a bit burnt
- 5 garlic, peel and crushed then stir fry until fragrant and a bit brown
- 75 gr Javanese red sugar /gula Melaka / coconut sugar
- 3 tbsp. sweet soy sauce
- 3 tbsp tamarind juice
- 1/8 tsp salt, or to taste
- 3 tbsp garlic oil
- lemon juice from 1/2 lemon
- 3 tbsp. fried shallot
Method:
- Marinate chicken with lemon juice, grated garlic, grated ginger, coriander powder, salt, and sweet soy sauce overnight (cover the bowl and refrigerate)
- Thread a few pieces of the chicken meat onto the bamboo skewers
- Grill the satay until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and nicely charred on each side. Baste and brush with garlic oil while grilling
- To make the sauce: Process peanuts, half of the water, lime leaves, candle nuts and garlic in a blender until very smooth. Transfer to a large wok
- Add the remaining water, red sugar, tamarind juice, salt, sweet soy sauce, and cooking oil then cover the wok
- Cook in low heat until the sauce becomes thick (for about 30 minutes). Turn off the heat. Add lemon juice and fried shallots and mix well
- Arrange the satay on a plate and pour the peanut sauce on top of the satay. Add more sweet soy sauce if you like the sauce to be sweeter and sprinkle more fried shallots
- Serve with rice cakes or hot steam rice, sliced cucumbers, sliced tomatoes, and chili sauce (please see the recipe for the chili sauce here)
- To reheat, use a steamer and do not grill the satay as the meat will become tough
Making memories in every dish 