Malaysian 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.

This dish is actually not so hard to prepare, but I will warn you that it’s time consuming because you need to marinate the chicken meat over night.

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.