Home Style Satay with Peanut Sauce, Ketupat

Update | The nation is coming to a slight relief amid of the current pandemic as the government loosens some rules on the Movement Control Order "MCO". Here's a 'fool-proof' recipe for some delicious homemade Satay.

One special characteristic worth mentioning about Malaysian food is, there is no recipe. Ingredients are presented the way they are, and the cooks work on their magic. That is also the reason why symbolic food like curry, rendang and kurma, have so many varieties. It is almost impossible to set an authentic guideline for the variation unlike the French "culinary father" August Escoffier (the chef who invented the world first recipe book). Cooking the "agak-agak" way is unique in Malaysian chefs and maybe some of the south-east Asian as well. By the way, I used an oven for this recipe.

For the marinade (makes about 50 regular satay)
1kg chicken drumstick, skin on, deboned
50g fresh turmeric (alternative: turmeric powder)
3pc shallot, whole, peeled
2pc knob of lemongrass
10g dried coriander seed
5g dried cumin seed
10g chili powder (or dried chili, soaked)
30g cooking oil (I used canola oil)
30g brown sugar
10g salt
bamboo skewers

1. Cut chicken meat into strips.
2. Blend all remaining ingredients in a blender.
3. Marinate for 12 hours.
4. Soak skewers in salted water for 1 hour (this will prevent skewers burning easily, the salt helps to sterilize the skewers)
5. Skew the meat to the skewers.
6. Preheat oven to 250°C, roast the skewers for 15-20 minutes until slightly burnt.



For peanut sauce
20g dried chili, soaked in warm water
3pc garlic, peeled
3pc shallot, peeled
1pc knob of lemongrass
1pc galangal
10g dried coriander seed
200g peanuts, skinned, roasted
1 knob tamarind pulps, soaked in 50ml hot water, use the juice only
50ml cooking oil (peanut oil is preferred)
300ml water
10g salt
30g brown sugar
15g sweet soy sauce (optional)

1. Put dried chili, garlic, shallot, lemongrass, galangal and coriander seed into a blender, blend until a consistency like a puree.
2. Heat the blended ingredient with a stockpot over medium heat, stir frequently as it burns easily. Fry until a layer of oil starting to form on top (about 10-15 minutes).
3. Pound the roasted peanuts to coarse (Put the roasted peanuts in a zipper bag, use the bottom of a stockpot to pound it).
4. Add all remaining ingredients to the puree, simmer for 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning.


For ketupat
2 cup rice
4 cup water
2g salt, sugar
10ml oil
20ml coconut milk
2pc pandan leaf

1. Cook the rice with rice cooker.
2. Mash the cooked rice with a rubber spatula, the rice should be fluffy like a hard mashed potato.
3. Line baking paper in a small square mold (you can use soup bowl if you don't have a mold, coat the side of the mold with a thin layer of oil if you don't have baking paper), press the mashed rice to the mold. Top with another layer of baking paper, press as firm as you can.
4. Rest the rice in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
5. Remove the rice from the mold, cut to pieces.
6. Heat slowly with microwave until you feel the rice is warm.


Eat the skewers with sauce and ketupat. Bon appetit.


ZF


#Satay #malaysianfood #MCO #homestyle