Satay has such an interesting history. Believed to have originated in the early 19th century on the Indonesian island of Java, it was influenced by the influx of Indian and Arab traders and immigrants. Local street vendors were inspired by the Middle Eastern and Indian kebabs to create their own variation. This delicious dish then spread to neighbouring countries, with each developing its own unique version.
Originally spelt ‘sate’ in Indonesia, the English word ‘satay’ is now more commonly used. Interestingly, in the Hokkien dialect, satay sounds like ‘sa-tae’ which translates to ‘three pieces’. Satay in Singapore and Malaysia tends to have three pieces of meat on the skewer, while in Indonesia and Thailand it has more pieces of meat.
The meat is cut into thumbnail-sized pieces, seasoned, marinated in spices, threaded on bamboo skewers (traditionally the midrib of the coconut palm frond was used as a skewer) and then grilled over charcoal embers. Popular meats used for satay are chicken, beef, mutton or pork (in non-Muslim countries).
INDONESIA
Indonesian satay is often served with a spicy peanut sauce or kecap manis (a thickened sweet soy sauce) and is often accompanied by ketupat. Ketupat is a rice cake made by packing raw rice in a woven palm leaf pouch, then boiling the rice until it is cooked and swells into a compact rice cake. The leaf is then removed and the rice cake is cut into cubes. My friend Tia taught me a quick ketupat ‘cheat’, she boils up a packet of ‘boil in a bag’ rice for an hour until the rice swells up and looks like the bag is about to burst. Let it cool, remove the bag and cut the rice ‘cake’ into cubes. Does the trick, try it sometime!
Sate Lilit – another variation of satay found on the Indonesian island of Bali. Lilit means “to wrap around” in both Balinese and Indonesian. This satay is made from minced meat seasoned with spices, coconut milk and grated coconut. The spiced minced meat is wrapped around flat bamboo, sugarcane or lemongrass stems and then grilled over charcoal. Unlike the narrow and sharp skewers of other satay recipes, the bamboo skewer of sate lilit is flat and wide. This larger surface allows the minced meat to adhere and settle. It is commonly served with rice and sambal matah (a raw ‘sambal’ of chopped shallots, garlic, chilli, makrut or calamansi lime juice, salt and a splash of coconut oil).
SINGAPORE AND MALAYSIA
Being such close neighbours, the flavour profile and style is similar. Featuring three pieces of meat, marinated in warming spices, chargrilled and served with rice cake (ketupat), onion, cucumber and peanut sauce. It is common to find grated pineapple in the Malaysian peanut sauce.
THAILAND
The meat is marinated in coconut milk, lemongrass, galangal and other herbs and spices; pork is a popular choice. Thai satay peanut sauce tends to be sweeter and has coconut milk added for richness. In Thailand, satay is usually served with a side dish of ajat salad (cucumber, chillies and shallots in vinegar) and bread.
In this month’s column, I am sharing two of my favourite recipes, Chicken Satay and Pineapple Peanut Sauce. I hope you will give them a try and I would love to hear what you think.
CHICKEN SATAY
Ingredients:
500g chicken breast or thigh2 teaspoons castor sugar½ teaspoon ground white pepper1 teaspoon sea salt1 teaspoon ground coriander1 teaspoon ground turmeric1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon cornflour2 teaspoons vegetable oil (plus more for grilling)Bamboo skewers
To serve:
Cucumber and red onion, cut into 2cm cubes. Peanut sauce.
Method:
1. Soak the bamboo skewers in cold tap water for 10 minutes.
2. Cut the chicken roughly into 2cm x 1cm pieces. Combine with all the other ingredients and mix well. Thread three pieces of chicken onto each skewer. Repeat.
3. Brush the chicken with oil, grill on a barbecue or under an overhead grill on a high heat. Cook for 1 minute on each side, until both sides are slightly charred and cooked through.
4. The diced cucumber and red onions add freshness. We poke them onto the chicken skewer, then dip them in the peanut sauce, and eat them all in one mouthful.
Try it, it’s good!
Chef’s Tip:
Soaking the skewers reduces the chances of them burning over an open grill. If cooking under an overhead grill, cover the exposed bamboo skewers with a stripe of aluminium foil.
PINEAPPLE PEANUT SAUCE
This is perhaps better known as satay sauce to some, as this delicious sauce is most commonly served as a dip with satay. Being neighbours, Singapore and Malaysia use very similar ingredients, flavours and culinary styles. The only difference in this Malaysian peanut sauce is the addition of grated pineapple, giving it a lovely fragrance and a sweet and sour finish.
Serves: 6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
Spice paste:
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon chilli powder
Sauce:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
200ml coconut milk
3 level tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons grated pineapple (grate the flesh, not the core)
200ml water
1 teaspoon castor sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
Serve:
Crushed roasted salted peanuts
Method:
1. Mix the spices with the 2 tablespoons of water, into a paste. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a saucepan over a high heat, fry the onions for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the garlic and continue to fry until lightly brown.
3. Turn down the heat and fry the spice paste for 2 minutes, then add 2 tablespoons of the coconut milk and continue to fry on low heat until the spice mixture look glossy and some oil seeps out. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil then simmer, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes until some oil floats to the surface.
Serve sprinkled with some crushed peanuts.
Chef’s Tip:The trick to prevent the ground spices from burning and turning bitter, is to mix them with water to form a moist paste.
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