Satay

The smoke of barbequed food is one that doesn't turn me away as fast as how a mosquito does from a burning coil. It lures to me it and whets my appetite, and whatever is being barbequed it always smells delicious. In addition, anything skewered is just as attractive as it looks and smell. When its on a stick its appears easier to eat - just pick it up and bite - no utensils required. When I was younger, we used to eat barbequed (skewered) pork in sweet & sour-tasting, tomato-based marinade. You'll find this in most childrens' parties or other family gatherings, and now easily found too cooked by streetside vendors. Another skewered delight I now have is Malaysian's Satay. You can use beef or chicken or maybe even lamb(?) and its MUST accompaniment is the Peanut Sauce. I've seen it also served with chunks of cucumber, red onion and ketupat (pressed rice).

Satay Ingredients:

500 beef or chicken, sliced into thin long strips
10 shallots or 1 medium brown onion
5 cloves garlic
2 slices ginger
2 stalks lemon grass, sliced (or 1 tsp lemon rind)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp dark soya sauce
1 tsp salt
3 T sugar
3 T oil


Place onion, garlic, lemon grass, ginger in a food processor and finely grind. Add to beef and rest of the ingredients. Marinate meat for 1 hour and thread seasoned meat on sticks. Grill over hot barbeque or grill plate (i.e on stovetop) and baste with oil or marinade to keep it moist.
Serve with peanut sauce, cucumber and red onion wedges.


Peanut Sauce:

15 shallots
8 cloves garlic
2 stalks lemon grass, thinly sliced
20-30 dried chillies, deseeded or 4-5 T chilli paste
4 thin slices galangal
2 T salt
8-10 T sugar
4 T lime juice or thick tamarind juice
455 g freshly roasted ground peanuts
225 ml oil

Pound the first 5 ingredients to a fine paste.
Boil peanuts with 900 ml water over low heat until thick. Stir constantly for 30 minutes. Heat oil in wok and fry pounded paste until fragrant and oil seeps through paste. Add paste to peanut mixture. Season with salt, sugar, lime/tamarind juice. Simmer over low heat for 7 minutes until sugar is dissolved.