Satay/peanut sauce recipes: COLLECTION
Description
This collection features authentic Indonesian satay techniques, centering on a luxurious peanut sauce that balances sweet palm sugar, salty soy, and spicy sambal. The marinades infuse flank steak with lemongrass, galangal, and shrimp paste for deep, complex flavors. Perfect for dinner parties or casual grilling, these dishes offer a restaurant-quality experience at home. The sauce is creamy yet robust, clinging beautifully to charred meat skewers. Serve with cucumber slices and ketupat for a complete meal that delights the palate with its harmonious blend of heat, sweetness, and umami.Ingredients
Directions
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Prepare Sate Bumbu Marinade: Blend onion, garlic, laos powder, sambal ulek, pepper, shrimp paste, and palm sugar into a smooth paste. Mix in soy sauce, tamarind liquid, peanut oil, coconut milk, curry leaves, and bruised lemongrass. Marinate 1 lb thinly sliced flank steak in this mixture.
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Prepare Sate Manis Marinade: Mix 1 1/2 lb flank steak slices with 1 TBS palm sugar, 1 clove crushed garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 TBS soy sauce, 1 TBS oil, and 1 tsp cumin. Marinate for at least 4 hours.
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Grill Satay: Thread marinated meat onto skewers. Broil or grill over high heat until well browned and cooked through. Set aside to rest.
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Make Peanut Sauce Base: Heat 7 TBS peanut oil in a wok. Fry 6 cloves thinly sliced garlic until golden brown, then remove and blot on paper towels. Repeat frying process for 1 thinly sliced onion and 2 dried chillies.
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Finish Peanut Sauce: In the remaining oil, fry 1 tsp trasi and 2 TBS sambal ulek on low heat for one minute. Add 12 oz crunchy peanut butter and 3/4 cup water. Stir vigorously until smooth. Remove from heat.
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Combine Sauce: Stir in 1 TBS lemon juice, 1 TBS soy sauce, 1 1/2 TBS palm sugar, and the fried garlic, onion, and chillies. Adjust consistency with more water or coconut milk if needed.
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Make Quick Peanut Sauce Alternative: Heat 1/4 cup peanut oil. Fry 1 TBS dried onion flakes for a few seconds, remove and drain. In about 2 TBS oil, fry 1/4 tsp trasi and 2 TBS sambal ulek on low heat for a minute. Add 1/4 cup peanut butter and 3/4 cup water. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 tsp salt, 1 TBS soy sauce, 2 tsp palm sugar, 1 TBS tamarind liquid, and the fried onion flakes.
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Serve: Serve hot satay skewers with the warm peanut sauce on the side.
Note
Storage: Store leftover peanut sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat gently, adding a splash of water if it thickens too much.
Substitutions: If tamarind paste is unavailable, use fresh lime or lemon juice for acidity. Dark brown sugar can replace palm sugar. For a milder sauce, reduce the amount of sambal ulek or dried chilies.
Tips: Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes before threading meat to prevent burning. For a smoother sauce, blend the fried aromatics into the sauce after frying.
Variations: This sauce pairs well with chicken, beef, or tofu satay. Add chopped roasted peanuts on top for extra crunch.
satay, peanut sauce, indonesian, thai, skewers, grilling, flank steak, tamarind, lemongrass, galangal, sambal, shrimp paste, coconut milk, marinade, bbq, dinner party, asian cuisine, street food, spicy, umami
