Recipe(tried): Sate Ayam (Chicken Satay & Satay Sauce)

Chicken Satay

The tantalising aroma of seasoned meat (beef or goat) or chicken cooking over a charcoal fire, annointed from time to time with oil spread with a brush of gragrant lemon grass, is truely irresistible. This is one of Malaysian's all-time favorite Malay dishes.

2 chicken legs and thighs, deboned and ut into small pieces
1/2 t. chilli powder
3 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 t. turmeric powder
skwers (soak in water for at least 1 hour prior using)
oil
1 lemon grass, lightly bruised

Spice paste:
6 shallots (or tinly brown/Spanish onions)
3 lemon grass
1 clove garlic
1 T. coriander
2 T. oil

Chop the Spice Paste ingredients and blend together them with the chicken, chilli powder, sugar, salt and turmeric powder and marinate for 12 horus.
Thread 4-5 pieces of meat onto each skewer. Grill over a charcoal fire, cornstantly brushling with crushed lemon grass dipped in oil. Turn frequently to prevernt burning, Meat should be slightly blackened on the outside and just cooked inside.
Serve with satay sauce, sliced cucumber, sliced raw onion and (compressed rice cake, aka, "Lontong".)

Satay Sauce:
2 cup dry roasted peanuts, skinned
1/3 cup oil
1 heaped T. tamarind pulp, soaked in 4 T. water
1 cup water
1 t. sugar
salt to taste

Spice paste:
6-8 dried chillies, soaked in hot water
6 cloves garlic
3 shallots
4 lemon grass
2.5cm (1 in) galangal (aka. Thai ginger)
2 T. coriander
1 t. cumin

Crush the peanuts coarsely and set aside.
Chop the spice paste ingredients and blend until fine. Heat oil and fry spice paste tohether with tamairnd pupl until fragrant, adding the water a little at a time. Add sugar, salt, and peanuts. Mix thoroughly and set aside. Serve at room temperature with satay.

Note: As I usually follow Chris' mother's cookign method, the amount of the ingredients might not be exactly right. You need to experiment yourself for the best result.
This is a dish that you can prepare advance and just grill the skewers on the charcoal or under a grill!