Chicken Satay-style grilled skewers with peanut sauce

Ingredients

Chicken

• 600 g chicken thigh fillets, cut into 2 cm strips
• 2 tbsp coconut milk
• 1 tbsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Peanut sauce

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp red curry paste
• 200 g roasted peanuts, blended to a coarse paste
• 200 ml coconut milk
• 2 tbsp palm sugar
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• 1 tbsp fish sauce

To serve

• Cucumber relish (cucumber + red onion + vinegar + sugar)
• Lime wedges

Method

1. Marinate. Mix chicken with all marinade ingredients. Rest 30 minutes (or overnight).
2. Skewer. Thread chicken onto soaked bamboo skewers.
3. Peanut sauce. Heat oil in a pan. Fry shallots + garlic 3 minutes.
4. Paste. Add curry paste, fry 1 minute. Stir in peanut paste.
5. Simmer. Add coconut milk, palm sugar, tamarind, fish sauce. Simmer 8 minutes until thick.
6. Grill. Cook skewers on a hot grill or griddle, 2-3 minutes per side. Charred edges good.
7. Serve. With peanut sauce, cucumber relish, lime.

Tips

• Turmeric + coconut marinade. Colour and tenderise in one.
• Soak bamboo skewers 30 min. They burn otherwise.
• Peanut sauce: dry-roast the paste first. Big depth move.