Satay — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Tender marinated chicken or beef threaded onto bamboo skewers, grilled over charcoal, and served with a rich, chunky peanut dipping sauce.

Ingredients

500g chicken thigh or beef sirloin, cubed
Marinade: 2 stalks lemongrass, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp coriander, 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tbsp sugar, salt
Peanut sauce: 200g roasted peanuts (crushed), 200ml coconut milk, 2 tbsp chilli paste, 1 tbsp tamarind paste, 2 tbsp palm sugar, salt
Compressed rice cakes (nasi impit)
Cucumber and onion slices

Instructions

1 Blend lemongrass, turmeric, coriander, oil, sugar, and salt into a marinade paste. Coat meat and marinate for at least 2 hours.
2 Thread marinated meat onto soaked bamboo skewers, 4-5 pieces per stick.
3 For the peanut sauce, simmer crushed peanuts, coconut milk, chilli paste, tamarind, and palm sugar until thick.
4 Grill skewers over hot charcoal, turning frequently and basting with oil, for 8-10 minutes until charred and cooked through.
5 Serve skewers with peanut sauce, compressed rice cakes, and cucumber-onion slices.
6 Squeeze lime over the satay just before eating for brightness.

Did You Know?

In Brunei, the best satay vendors are so popular that customers sometimes wait over an hour — their charcoal grilling technique and secret marinades are irreplaceable.