Craving some unique meat dishes during your stay at home? The good news is you can cook some delicious satay in your kitchen. Satay is one of the most popular dishes in Indonesia and can be found everywhere, from street corners to high-end restaurants. Each region in Indonesia has its own variation of satay, making it a diverse and flavorful dish. While you can’t travel to Indonesia right now, you can still enjoy the flavors of this delicious dish by making it at home with your own twist.
1. Sate Padang
Sate Padang is one of the most popular satay dishes in Indonesia. Unlike other satays that use peanut or soy sauce, Sate Padang features a thick and spicy gravy that accompanies skewers made from beef and ox tongue. There are variations of Sate Padang, including Sate Pariaman, Sate Padang Panjang, and Sate Padang, all originating from West Sumatra.
Ingredients:
- 500g beef
- 500g ox tongue
- 1.5L water
- 6 lime leaves
- 1 stalk lemongrass
- 1-inch galangal
- 1-inch ginger
- 150g rice flour, mixed with 150ml water
- Salt to taste
- 25 bamboo skewers – Soak in water for 20-30 minutes
- Ground Spices:
- 5-6 long red chili
- 2 tsp roasted coriander seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 5 garlic cloves
- 5 shallots
- 2-inch turmeric root
- 1 tsp salt
How to Make:
1. Parboil the beef and ox tongue in a pot for 5 minutes, then remove the water and scrape off the white layer from the tongue.
2. Cut the beef and tongue into 2x2x3 cm pieces.
3. Marinate the beef and tongue with ground spices in a pot for 30 minutes.
4. Add water, lime leaves, lemongrass, galangal, and ginger to the pot and bring to a boil. Cook on low heat for 30 minutes.
5. Remove the beef and tongue from the broth and discard the herbs and spices. Save about a liter of broth.
6. Season the broth with salt to taste.
7. Thread the meat and tongue pieces onto soaked skewers.
8. Grill the satay until slightly browned.
9. Bring the broth to a boil and add the rice flour mixture. Stir continuously until desired thickness is reached. Pour the sauce over the satay and serve hot.
2. Sate Madura
Sate Madura is a popular type of satay served with peanut sauce and sweet soy sauce. It originated from Madura, an island north of East Java. While it is commonly sold by street vendors in the evening, you can also make it at home.
Satay Ingredients:
- 600g chicken thigh meat, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 4 tablespoons sweet soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 25 bamboo skewers
Peanut Sauce Ingredients:
- 250g roasted peanuts
- 3 candlenuts
- 6 red cayenne chilies
- 4 tablespoons coconut palm sugar
- Salt to taste
- 600ml water
How to Make:
1. Grind the peanuts, candlenuts, and chilies until smooth.
2. Transfer the paste to a saucepan and add the remaining peanut sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened.
3. Mix the chicken, sweet soy sauce, oil, and 150g of peanut sauce in a bowl. Marinate for 30 minutes.
4. Thread the chicken onto bamboo skewers.
5. Grill the skewers, basting with the marinade sauce, until cooked or slightly charred.
6. Serve the Sate Madura with peanut sauce.
3. Sate Maranggi
Sate Maranggi is a savory meat skewer dish that is easy to make. It is believed to have originated in either Purwakarta or Cianjur. Unlike other satay dishes, Sate Maranggi is not served with peanut sauce but with a chili sauce. It is often enjoyed with grilled sticky rice or ‘Ketan Bakar’ and fermented peanut press cake.
Ingredients:
- 600g beef tenderloin, cut into small pieces
- 3 tablespoons sweet soy sauce
- 30 bamboo skewers
- Spice Paste:
- 12 shallots
- 8 cloves of garlic
- 1 1/2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 2 tablespoons tamarind essence
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 100g palm sugar
- Chili Sauce:
- 5 bird eye chilies, thinly sliced
- 1 tomato, cut into pieces
- 2 shallots
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 5 tablespoons sweet soy sauce
How to Make:
1. Mix the beef, sweet soy sauce, and spice paste in a bowl. Marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
2. Skewer the marinated beef and grill until cooked and slightly charred. Baste with the marinade sauce during grilling.
3. Blend the chili sauce ingredients until smooth.
4. Serve the Sate Maranggi with chili sauce.
These easy-to-make Indonesian satay recipes will satisfy your cravings for flavorful meat dishes. While you’re staying at home, you can still explore the diverse flavors of Indonesian cuisine. Get inspired and make plans to travel to Indonesia in the future.
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