Balinese Satay Sauce
Satay is a staple on most peoples takeaway order, when people do make it at home, it's often using peanut butter or a packet, yet the traditional style method is very simple, freezes well and tastes so much more amazing!
Some of the ingredients for this recipe are difficult to get hold of from your average supermarket, but I would recommend buying them online. Often, from Asian supermarkets or online shops, the spices you use frequently at home, like cinnamon, cumin or even things like coconut milk, are so much cheaper, so it would be worth placing and order anyway to save money on other stuff. I use www.theasiancookshop.co.uk
If you don't want to order the particular ingredients, things can luckily be swapped for similar alternatives. Kashmiri chilli can be swapped for an equal mix of cayenne pepper and sweet paprika (half a teaspoon of each would equate to one whole chilli or one teaspoon of powder). Brown sugar can be used instead of palm sugar (half a teaspoon of brown sugar in place of one teaspoon of palm sugar). To substitute the kecap mani, use equal amounts of soy sauce and dark brown sugar and then simmer on a hob until the sugar has dissolved.
Most traditional satay recipes use shrimp paste, I have chosen to omit this; partly because I don't like the taste, but also it means that this recipe is vegan/vegetarian.
Ingredients
Satay is a staple on most peoples takeaway order, when people do make it at home, it's often using peanut butter or a packet, yet the traditional style method is very simple, freezes well and tastes so much more amazing!
Some of the ingredients for this recipe are difficult to get hold of from your average supermarket, but I would recommend buying them online. Often, from Asian supermarkets or online shops, the spices you use frequently at home, like cinnamon, cumin or even things like coconut milk, are so much cheaper, so it would be worth placing and order anyway to save money on other stuff. I use www.theasiancookshop.co.uk
If you don't want to order the particular ingredients, things can luckily be swapped for similar alternatives. Kashmiri chilli can be swapped for an equal mix of cayenne pepper and sweet paprika (half a teaspoon of each would equate to one whole chilli or one teaspoon of powder). Brown sugar can be used instead of palm sugar (half a teaspoon of brown sugar in place of one teaspoon of palm sugar). To substitute the kecap mani, use equal amounts of soy sauce and dark brown sugar and then simmer on a hob until the sugar has dissolved.
Most traditional satay recipes use shrimp paste, I have chosen to omit this; partly because I don't like the taste, but also it means that this recipe is vegan/vegetarian.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 50g of finely diced banana shallots
- 20g of finely chopped garlic
- 2 whole dried kashmiri chillies (soaked in warm water for 10 minutes and then drained)
- 5 baby plum tomatoes, skins discarded and finely chopped
- 150g skinless, unsalted, roasted peanuts (you can roast them yourself by putting them in a pan on high heat for a few minutes, constantly moving, until them have a golden colour.
- 1 tbsp palm sugar
- 1 tbsp kecap manis
- 1.5 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 150ml coconut milk
- Pinch of salt
Method
- Heat your oil in a khadai, (or deep based frying pan), on a medium heat. Once hot, add the shallot and garlic and fry until they are golden.
- Add your kashmiri chilli and tomato and fry for around 2 minutes.
- Add your lime juice, coconut milk and palm sugar, reduce the heat to low, and leave for around 5 minutes or until slightly reduced and thickened.
- Place the peanuts (reserving 2 tablespoons), in a food processor and blend into fine crumbs. Place the the other 2 tablespoons and just blend very quickly, so has you have a few coarse pieces of peanut to add texture.
- Add the peanut, kecap manis and pinch of salt to the khadai, stir and leave for around 5-10 minutes, or until the colour is dark and the mixture is thick.
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| A picture guide to making Satay! |