Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

My travel through Asia a few years ago build up my love for Asian dishes. One of my absolute favorite is this delicious chicken dish. I made it many times and adapted it to my taste and the ingredients you can easily get. It is a warming dish which can be lighten up with the cucumber relish. Enjoy this recipe!

For 4 people:

• 3 Garlic cloves
• 1 inch Ginger root (fresh and peeled)
• 1 Onion (white, peeled)
• 2 Tsp. Coriander Powder
• 1/2 cup fresh Cilantro
• 1 Tsp. Cumin Powder
• 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce (less sodium)
• 1 Tsp. Sambal Oelek (or any other chili paste)
• 3 Tbsp. Coconut Oil
• 24 oz (650g) Chicken breast, (4 chicken breast)
• 20 wood sticks (kabob sticks)

Sauce:

• 5 oz Peanuts (salt free if available)
• 2 Tbsp. Coconut Oil
• 1 Lime, juice freshly squeezed
• 1 Tbsp. Green Curry Paste
• 1 Tbsp. Fish Sauce
• 1 Tsp. Tamarind Sauce (if not available use more lime juice)
• 1 can Coconut Milk (200 ml or 3/4 cup)
• 1 Tbsp. Sugar (Brown Sugar preferred)

For the marinate mix the 2 garlic cloves (we need one for later), ginger, onion, cilantro and the spices (coriander, cumin, sambal and soy sauce) with a Nutri-Bullet or any other quick chopper. Wash the chicken breast under cold water and dry off with paper towels. Cut each breast in 5 long strips and marinate with the ingredients above for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile soak the wooden sticks in cold water. This will prevent the wood from burning on the grill and will also help that the meat will get off the stick easy after cooking.

For the sauce chop the peanuts to a fine powder. I know a lot of people like to use peanut butter for this sauce. I like to make it fresh. If I am lazy I use a peanut butter powder (Peanut Butter & Co Mighty Nut Powdered Peanut Butter with Flax & Chia) but I reduce the sugar in the sauce. Well back to the sauce… I chop the remaining garlic clove and roast in in the 2 tbsp. coconut oil. I add the curry paste and let it roast till it bubbles. I will get back to the proper process in my green curry recipe. This is probably the magic behind an awesome curry recipe. I add the coconut milk, lime juice, lime peel grated, the peanuts or the peanut powder and sugar if required. Cook for 3-4 min in medium heat and add fish sauce, tamarind sauce or more lime juice and taste.

For the chicken kabobs use one wooden stick per chicken strip and thread in waves on the stick.

To cook the chicken you can either do it in the kitchen and heat up the oil in a pan and fry each kabob till golden brown, or you take a healthier approach and grill each kabob for 5 min with medium heat till the core temperature a minimum of 165F (74C) reached.

Serve with Thai-Rice (Jasmin rice or flavored basmati rice), peanut sauce and thai cucumber relish – ajat thaeng gwa.

Enjoy!

Natalie

XoXo