Satay

Satay is a South-East Asian dish which came to Sri Lanak with the Malays. It was later spiced up to suite the Sri Lankan pallet. In South-East Asia satay is meat or fish marinaded in the spices and then grilled over hot coals. The Sri Lankan version is more about cooking it in a pot. But when we were kids my mom used to make satay from beef cubes, cook them in a pot, then skewer them and then grill them over hot coconut shell coals and they were GOOOOOD! They would also last for a few week, if they lasted us ;-)

Ingredients

1Kg chicken pieces (preferably with some bone - could be substituted with beef or lamb/mutton)
1 1/2 Big red onion
2 large lemon grass storks
6 cloves of garlic
about 3/4 inch of fat ginger :-)
1 tsp of cumin seed
1 cm x 2 cm piece of cinnamon

2 tbs of Dark soy sauce
2 tbs of peanut oil (could be substituted with roasted sesame seed oil or olive oil)
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder (how spicy do you want it?)
3/4 - 1 tsp sugar
Slat to taste

Method

1. Chop onions, garlic, ginger and lemon grass, then blend to a coarse paste with cumin seeds and cinnamon.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
3. Add to the mixture to the chicken, mix well and marinade for about 1-2 hours
4. Add a little oil to a pot and add the marinaded chicken
5. Cook for about 40 minutes with lid closed in a reduced heat occasionally mixing (let the chicken cook in its own liquid and do not add water)
6. Open lid and simmer till the gravy reduces to a thick paste

Taste best a day later ;-)