Recipe: Chicken Satay

Malay Satay -- those little skewers of meat with peanut sauce and ketupat (Malay rice cake) is a very popular dish in Malaysia. Walk down any street in the country and the mouthwatering aroma of Satay exudes from practically every corner you pass: road side Malay stalls, hawker centers, pasar malam (night markets), kopi tiam (Chinese coffee shops), and even high-end restaurants. Of course Satay is universally loved across Southeast Asia. (It's commonly believed that Satay is the region's distant cousin to Middle-Eastern Kebabs, thanks to the spice route and the culinary influence of early Arab traders.) However each country has their own interpretation for Satay, influenced by their own unique food culture and distinct palate. For instance, Indonesian Satays tend to be sweeter because of the heavy consumption of Kecap Manis (sweet soy sauce) while the Thai Satay is slightly less sweet since coconut milk is used instead... No surprise then that Malaysian Satay is made with ingredients and spices commonly found in Malay cooking; shallots, lemon grass, turmeric powder (kunyit), and coriander seeds. The basic recipe calls for the cook's meat of choice -- be it chicken, beef, lamb -- to marinate for many hours or even overnight so as to lock in the flavor. In addition to the peanut dipping sauce, Malay Satay is served with ketupat, onions, and cucumber. Trust me, the taste of these side dishes complement each other exquisitely. When I make Satays at home I often save time by using off-the-shelf satay marinate powder such as Ayam Brand Satay Seasoning (aka "cheated"), but the existence of Rasa Malaysia has motivated me to cook everything from scratch nowadays. So I will admit to modifying the traditional Malay recipe with a tint of Kecap Manis and Oyster Sauce substituting for salt and sugar. But as you can infer from these pictures, the end results were delicious. You can almost smell the enticing aroma of Satay from your computer, can't you? Ingredients: 4 chicken legs and thighs or 4 chicken breasts (deboned) Spice Paste: 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds 2 stalks lemon grass 6 shallots (peeled) 2 cloves garlic (peeled) 4 tablespoons of cooking oil 1 teaspoon of chili powder 2 teaspoons of turmeric powder (kunyit) 4 spoons of Kecap Manis (ABC brand from Indonesia recommended) 1 spoon of Oyster Sauce (Lee Kam Kee brand recommended) Others: Bamboo skewers (soaked in water for 2 hours to avoid burning) 1 cucumber (skin peeled and cut into small pieces) Method: Cut the chicken meat into small cubes. Grind the Spice Paste in a food processor. Add in a little water if needed. Marinate the chicken pieces with the spice paste for 10-12 hours. Thread the meat on to bamboo skewers and grill for 2-3 minutes each side. Serve hot with fresh cucumber pieces.