Chicken satay

Twice-starred Michelin chef Atul Kochhar has travelled the length and breadth of Malaysia searching for new dishes and ingredients. Here’s his rather good chicken satay.

WHAT YOU NEED

1 tsp turmeric powder
1 small lemongrass stem, finely chopped
2 tsp caster sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 skinless chicken breast fillets, cut into 3cm cubes

For the satay sauce:

2cm ginger, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely diced
1cm galangal finely chopped (optional)
1 garlic clove, crushed
1tsp dried red chilli flakes
2 tbsp vegetable oil
50g peanuts, toasted and finely chopped
2 tbsp tamarind paste
2 tsp muscovado or palm sugar
8 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 1 hour

THE WORK

Combine the turmeric, lemongrass, sugar and oil. Add the chicken to the bowl and stir well. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge to marinate for around 3 hours.

To make the satay sauce, mix the ginger, onion, galangal, garlic and chilli with 2 tablespoons of water.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and add the onion mixture. Stir continuously for 3-4 minutes until the onion is golden. Add the peanuts and cook for 5 minutes. While the sauce is cooking, mix the tamarind paste with 100ml water stirring until smooth. Add to the satay sauce along with the sugar and simmer for 20 minutes until reduced by a third.

Thread the chicken onto the bamboo skewers and grill or barbecue for 2 minutes on each side until tender and slightly charred on the outside.

Serve with the satay sauce.

» Atul’s Spice Kitchen: Malaysia is new and exclusive to Good Food from 24 October at 8pm (Sky 249, Virgin 260).