Sate Madura: Spiced Chicken Satay with Sweet Soy Marinade
Sate Madura combines sweet soy, garlic, and palm sugar for deeply spiced, glossy chicken satay. The kecap manis glaze caramelises beautifully on the grill, creating an irresistibly sticky coating. Serve with rice or lontong and a drizzle of tamarind for true Madurese street-style flavour.
Ingredients
- 600 g chicken thighs boneless, cut into bite-sized cubes
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 shallots finely chopped
- 1 tbsp palm sugar grated
- 2 tbsp kecap manis Indonesian sweet soy sauce
- 1 tbsp tamarind juice
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp chili paste adjust to taste
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 100 g roasted peanuts ground
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 150 ml water
Instructions
- Blend the garlic, shallots, chili paste, coriander, and palm sugar into a smooth paste. Add kecap manis, tamarind juice, and oil, then coat the chicken pieces thoroughly. Let them marinate for at least three hours in the fridge.
- To make the sauce, combine ground peanuts, water, lime juice, and a small spoon of leftover marinade. Heat gently until it thickens, stirring often so it doesn’t stick to the pan. Serve the skewers hot with a drizzle of extra kecap manis.
- Thread the chicken onto skewers and preheat the grill to medium-high. Cook for 3–4 minutes per side, brushing occasionally with extra marinade. The sugar will caramelise, giving the skewers a shiny glaze and slightly crisp edges.
Notes
Chicken thighs stay succulent through the high-heat grilling process, while the sugar and soy caramelise to form a rich crust. The chili paste adds background warmth rather than heat, and palm sugar gives a smoky sweetness you can’t quite replicate with brown sugar.
Kecap manis is key here. Its syrupy texture is what makes the glaze thick and glossy. If you can’t find it, you can mix soy sauce with a spoonful of molasses, though it won’t quite match the same flavour depth.
Nutrition
Calories: 490kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 36gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 118mgSodium: 540mgPotassium: 610mgFiber: 2gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 240IUCalcium: 38mgIron: 3.1mg
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