Priscilla’s Favourite Recipes

Satay Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:
2 cups dry roasted peanuts
1/3 cup canola or peanut oil
2-3 cups water
2 Tbsp sugar
salt to taste
4 Tbsp tamarind paste juice

Spice Paste:
6 – 8 dried chillies, soaked in hot water
6 cloves garlic
6 shallots
3 candlenuts(kemiri nuts) or macadamia nuts
3 lemon grass stalks
1 inch piece of galangal
2 Tbsp coriander
1 tsp cumin

Optional: Fresh pineapple paste

Method:
1. Crush peanuts coarsely.
2. Chop spice paste ingredients and blend until fine.
3. Heat oil and fry paste with tamarind juice until fragrant on medium high heat.
4. Add water slowly to thin mixture.
5. Add sugar, salt and peanuts and stir frequently for 3-5 minutes.
6. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or longer, stirring every few minutes until oil begins to separate. Taste and don’t afraid to add any extra ingredients to achieve the level of sweetness, tartness or heat you prefer.
7. Serve sauce with sticks of satay, ketupat (pressed rice) and sliced cubes of fresh cucumber and red onions.
8. Optional: Add in one tablespoon of fresh pineapple paste into the sauce.

Finally I remember to take photographs for this much beloved dish. My boy can easily eat up to 12-15 satay with just a little rice and it is one of those dishes that we missed in Vancouver. So each time, I served about 45 – 50 skewers of satay as a dish during dinner together with another vegetable dish and soup.

Chicken Satay recipe

Ingredients:
750g boneless chicken breast

Marinade:
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
3-4 shallots, peeled and sliced thin crosswise
1 stalk fresh lemon grass, sliced thin crosswise
1/4 inch piece of fresh galangal
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoon sugar
20 bamboo skewers
4 tablespoon canola oil

Method:
1. Slice chicken into long thin slices, approximately 1/4 inch thick and 2 inches in length. Pat dry with paper towels.

2. Dry roast coriander seeds for a minute or two in a wok over medium heat to roast lightly, stirring often. Grind in a mortar and pestle or electric coffee grinder (reserved for spices).

3. Combine all the spices with the shallot, lemon grass, galangal, garlic and 2 tablespoons of oil together in a bowl.

4. Add chicken pieces to the marinade and mix well to cover meat. Allow to marinate for at least an hour or overnight (my preference is overnight).

5. Before cooking, soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes, so that they will not burn. Skewer 2 to 3 pieces of chicken onto each stick. Grill over a hot fire until cooked through. Baste with canola oil after turning. (For me, I used the oven to grill till cooked. I preheat the oven to 400F and grill for about 5 minutes on each side and turn over, it took about 20 minutes.)

6. Served with cucumber, onion and satay sauce. It is not easy to get fresh cucumber where we are so we just have it with satay sauce.