The classic fusion: Satay

I reminisce the humble looking though nonetheless much-loved staple food, the satay/sate.

And indeed, this is one of my favourite regional Malay foods. Why? Because it has the most unique and captivating marriages of smoky marinate beef and tangy peanut sauces and spices, it combines various meat-offerings to unravel a myriad of different options.

Satay has tantalized taste buds across the world. I remembered the time when we had an International Festival back in uni, nothing has attracted immense popularity of the people there more than a set of bamboo sticks with skewered meat on them. I guess its unique style of being grilled over open charcoal fires and constantly-fanned by a cook is easily attracting the crowd. In Southern Asia like Malaysia,Thailand and Indonesia satay has crossed cultures and racial divides to unite everyone to its delicious taste (both Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia claim it as their own). Satay is a widely renowned dish in these countries, as a result many variations have been developed throughout the Malay Archipelago.

Despite its murky origins – whether brought by Malaysian, Thailand or Indonesian traders I say - satay is synonymous with Asian. The popular kinds of satay are usually beef, lamb and chicken satays,  but some also serve more exotic meats such as venison, rabbit or fish, as well as gizzard, liver, and a number of other variations.

In Malaysia, it’s served with peanut sauce meanwhile in Indonesia they serve it with soy sauce.

Satay

Ingredients:

8-12 skinless chicken, cut into thin strips

Marinade with:

1/4 cup minced lemongrass

3 shallots

3 cloves garlic

1-2 fresh dry chilies

1 thumb-size piece galangal and ginger

1 tsp. turmeric

2 tbsp. ground coriander

2 tsp. cumin

5-6 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Preparation:

Soak wooden skewers in water while you prepare the meat (to prevent burning). Cut chicken into thin strips and place in a bowl.

Place all marinade ingredients in a food processor or chopper. Process well.

Taste-test the marinade - you will taste sweet, spicy, and salty. The strongest tastes should be sweet and salty, adjust the taste to suite your palate. You can also add more chilli if you want it spicier.

Pour the marinade over the meat and stir well to combine. Allow at least 1 hour for marinating, the longer the better of course.

When ready, thread meat onto the skewers. Fill up to 3/4 of the skewer, leaving the lower half empty so that the person grilling has a handle to easily turn the satay during cooking.

Grill the satay on your BBQ set or any indoor grill. Place satay close beneath the heating element and turn the meat every 5 minutes until cooked. Depending on how thin your meat is, the satay should cook in 10 to 20 minutes.

Dipping Sauce:

Ingredients:

1 cup dry roasted peanuts, unsalted

1/3 cup water

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. tamarind paste

1/2 tsp. dry chilli

1/3 cup coconut milk

Salt

Preparation:

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend or process until sauce is smooth. If you prefer a runnier peanut sauce, add a little more water or coconut milk.

Do a taste test, adding more salt if not salty enough, or if you'd prefer it sweeter, add a little more sugar.

Serve warm or at room temperature with satay.

Enjoy!