Step 1

Pulse all the ingredients except chicken in a food processor into a smooth paste.

Step 2

Mix paste with cut chicken pieces until they are well coated. Marinate for at least 10 hours, or overnight in the fridge.

Step 3

Soak bamboo skewers for at least 30 minutes. This will prevent the bamboo from getting burnt when grilling.

Step 4

Make satay skewers by threading 3-4 pieces of marinated chicken onto a soaked bamboo skewer. Continue until all the chicken is done.

Step 5

Cook the satay over a hot charcoal grill as I did here. or on the grill pan for this recipe. Grill for 1-2 minutes on each side, the meat should be slightly charred with a few brown spots and cooked through. Brush some oil with the bruised lemongrass.

Step 6

For the oven broiler or toaster oven method, line a tray with aluminum foil. Place wire rack 4-5 inches away from the heat source and lined tray below it to collect the dripping fat. Preheat oven for 10 minutes. Remove the rack from the oven and arrange the satay skewers on the rack. Broil the satay for 1-2 minutes, or until the meat is slightly charred with a few brown spots and cooked through. Turn the skewers over, brush some oil over the beef (optional), and continue broiling for another 1½-2 minutes, browned and completely cooked.

Step 7

Remove the cooked satay, rest for 5 minutes and ready to serve with spicy peanut sauce, cucumbers, onions and rice cakes.

Step 8

Place dried chili in a small pot, add enough water to cover the chili and bring water to a boil.

Step 9

Drain the chili and add them with shallots, lemongrass, galangal, ginger, ground coriander & ground cumin into food processor, grind to become smooth paste. Add some water if necessary to keep the blades turning.

Step 10

Heat up oil in a small pot, stir-fry the spice paste until fragrant, turn the heat to medium-high and continue cooking until the oil separates.

Step 11

Add in tamarind juice, peanuts, some water, stir well and turn up the heat to boil the paste. Cover the pot, turn the heat to low and simmer for another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The oil from the peanuts will rise to the top of paste and the consistency should be thick. Add water if it's too thick. Add jaggery & salt, then take off heat.