Satay with Peanut Sauce
Charcoal-grilled meat skewers in a turmeric marinade, served with rich peanut sauce, cucumber, raw onion and compressed rice cakes.
- prep
- 30 min
- cook
- 15 min
- total
- 45 min
- serves
- 4
- level
- medium
Satay shows up at hawker centres, wedding tables and street stalls across the region, and the skewers are only half the dish. A good peanut sauce, thick and a little sweet, is just as important as the char on the meat.
Real charcoal grilling makes a genuine difference here, giving you a smoky edge you cannot fully replicate on a stovetop. If you have access to an outdoor grill, use it for this one.
Part of our 20 best Singapore recipes list.
method
Blend the lemongrass, shallots, garlic, turmeric, coriander, sugar and oil into a smooth marinade.
Toss the meat strips with the marinade, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for deeper flavor.
Thread the marinated meat onto the soaked skewers, a few thin strips per skewer.
For the peanut sauce, blend the peanuts to a coarse paste. Fry the sambal in a little oil for 1 minute, then add the peanut paste, tamarind and coconut milk. Simmer for 5 minutes until thickened, and season with a little sugar and salt.
Grill the skewers over hot charcoal, or under a very hot broiler, for 2 to 3 minutes per side, basting once with oil, until lightly charred at the edges and cooked through.
Serve the skewers hot with the peanut sauce, cucumber, raw onion and rice cakes alongside.
chef's tips
- Charcoal is doing real work here, not just atmosphere. The char and smoke are part of the flavor, so a hot grill is worth the effort over a stovetop pan.
- Thin strips of meat, not chunks, are traditional. They cook fast and pick up more of the char at the edges.
- The peanut sauce should be thick enough to cling to the meat, not drip off. Simmer it a little longer if it looks thin.
- Marinate overnight if you have the time. A quick 20-minute marinade only coats the surface instead of actually flavoring the meat.