Chicken Satay with Peanut sauce

My husbands favorite appetizer whenever we go to a Thai restaurant, the main reason being the Peanut sauce! It is absolutely delicious and can be used for many other Thai recipes!

Ingredeints:

For the Chicken Satay:

Turmeric root - minced, 1 tbsp
Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp, toasted and ground
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tb sp toasted and ground
Salt - 1 n 1/2 t sp
Sugar - 2 tsp
White pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Pure Coconut milk - 1/2 cup (preferably the top creamier part)
Boneless Chicken breast - 500 gm, cut in long strips , 1/4 inch thick

For the  Peanut sauce:

Pure coconut milk - 2 cups
Red curry paste - 2 tb sp
Peanuts - 1/2 cup coarsely ground, mealy.
Palm sugar - 1/4 cup, chopped
Tamarind pulp - 3 tb sp
Fish sauce - 1 tb sp.

For Cucumber vinaigrette:

Cucumber peeled and dices - 1/4 cup
Shallots - 1/4 cup diced
Green chilies - 2, slit
White vinegar  - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 n 1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:

For the Peanut sauce:

- Heat 1 cup of coconut milk and reduce it, till it breaks and oil starts separating.
- In this oil add the red curry paste and saute till the raw flavor is gone
- Next, add the peanut meal and saute till they are toasted lightly.
- Now add 1 cup coconut milk and let it come to a boil.
- Add in the tamarind pulp, palm sugar, salt and fish sauce.
- Keep stirring and cook till a layer of coconut oil form on the top or till it reduces to a dipping sauce consistency.(7-10 min)

For the Chicken Satay:

- Mix together all the ingredients and let the chicken marinate for a couple hours or at least 1/2 hour.
- Heat a griddle/grill for 425 F and put the chicken strips on wooden skewers.
- Grill the strips for 5 min on each side or till cooked, while brushing the extra marinade on the top.


For Cucumber vinaigrette:

- Heat the vinegar with salt and sugar till it thickens up a bit and let it cool.
- Pour over the cucumber, shallots and chilies.

Tips:

- When using the coconut milk to break it and saute the red curry paste, use 100% pure one that comes in a carton and use the top creamy part (Usually forms while it is sitting in the fridge for couple of hours)
- The method of breaking the milk to oil is labor intensive and you can skip that and just use 1-2 tb sp vegetable oil or coconut oil instead.
- Use 1 tbsp turmeric powder if you cant find the roots.
- Skip the fish sauce if you are a vegetarian.

Healthy twist:

- Substitute Chicken with Tofu! They would be delicate and difficult to handle, but much healthier.
- Use low fat coconut milk if following the easier version.
- Go for the easier version and in this way you wont need so much of coconut milk.