I love our local hawker fare because they are mostly unhealthy (hence tasty) and I must say satay is one of my favourite choices especially when I prefer meat to carbs. In order for me and my husband to enjoy these sinful treats minus the high fat and high cholesterol content, the only way out is to make healthier alternatives of these dishes at home.
Chicken Satay
Ingredients
600g deboned chicken legs or thighs (remove skin, trim fats, cut into small cubes)
1 small red onion, blended into paste
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tbsp cumin powder
1/2 tbsp paprika powder
1/2 tbsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp sesame oil
25 bamboo skewers (soaked in water overnight so they don’t burn in the oven)
Instructions
1. Marinate chicken with all ingredients above for at least 4 hours (or preferably overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 200 deg C at Grill.
3. Thread chicken through skewers. Place over wire rack on baking tray and insert into oven at the highest shelf, closest to the top.
4. Grill for 15-25 minutes, turning the sticks half-way through till meat turns golden brown and slightly charred.
Satay Sauce
Ingredients
3 shallots
2 cloves garlic
2 red chillies
1 thumb-size piece galangal
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
juice of 2 limes
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 heaped tbsp reduced fat crunchy peanut butter
125ml water
2 tbsp low fat evaporated milk
Instructions
1. Blend first 6 ingredients in food processor to a paste.
2. Heat oil in pan and fry paste till fragrant. Add the other ingredients except evaporated milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes. Add the milk, give it a good stir and turn off heat.
Everything is made from scratch with fresh ingredients, no preservatives-filled packet/bottled marinade or satay sauce. I’ve also made some substitutions like using low fat evaporated milk instead of coconut milk, reduced fat peanut butter (less oily) instead of full fat one in the satay sauce. I also use olive oil to saute the paste.
This satay sauce tastes a little sweeter than the outside ones, is rich in flavour, smooth in texture and not oily at all. You can also use this as a dipping sauce for steamboats or fried foods.
For the chicken skewers, they are all solid meat without fats and skin. And because I use chicken leg meat, the inside is still tender and juicy. After marinating overnight in the fridge, the chicken are well seasoned with the aromatics.
Serve the skewers with some sliced red onions & cucumbers. And if you can’t find ketupat rice, you can buy chilled lontong rice from the supermarket, steam and cut into cubes. Tastes as good as ketupat. Anyway, the sauce is good for almost anything!
Bon appetit!
it’s really delicious..
thank you very much for sharing the recipe 🙂