Introduction to Satay (also Saté)
Many Westerners think satay is a Thai dish, but in fact it originated in Indonesia and is found everywhere in Malaysia. It is a very inexpensive dish in these countries. Families can make their own satay on a charcoal grill, but more likely they will go out and get heaping platters full of tender skewered meat. Satay is a meal in itself -- not merely an appetizer!
Chicken and beef satay are the most common, but you can also find pork satay -- and even fish satay. The meat is always marinated and should be grilled over charcoal for the best flavor. Satay is always accompanied by delicious peanut sauce!
In Malaysia, satay always comes with chunks of cucumber. Sometimes the cucumber has been soaked in mild vinegar, maybe with some sugar added. Another very common accompaniment is rice cakes (ketupat), which taste great with peanut sauce.
Now, if you look at a Malaysian menu, you will see sate. That is satay! To pronounce "sate" correctly, just say "SAH-teh."
Satay Recipes
- Malaysian Satay
- Authentic Malaysian satay recipe (chicken, beef, or pork) and the accompanying peanut sauce. This is a very good one.
- Thai Satay
- Simple recipe for pork; recipe for Thai-style peanut sauce; third recipe for the pickled cucumbers. Includes photos!
- Chicken Satay
- Good authentic marinade and instructions for chicken.
- Satay Chicken
- Basic chicken recipe. Also includes a recipe for rice cakes!
- Beef, Chicken and Shrimp Saté (Satay)
- Americanized version from Epicurious.com. Accompanied by a very simplified peanut sauce recipe.
- Chicken Satay 2
- Another simplified version, from the BBC, for both chicken skewers and the peanut sauce.
- Ketupat (Rice Cake)
- Simplified recipe for Western cooks.
- Traditional Ketupat
- Time-consuming original style for making rice cakes steamed in banana leaves.
- Malaysian Beef Satay
- Includes good tips for preparing your barbecue grill.
- Peanut Sauce (Kajang style)
- Very traditional, using peanuts (kacang) and not peanut butter.
- Pickled Cucumber
- Could not be easier than this.
Real Satay
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Chicken Satay
Thai Banquet
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Church
Klatak Satay
Learn More
- MalaysianFood.net
- This site explains all the types of Malaysian food and provides recipes for many dishes.
- Masak-Masak
- A foodie blog from a girl in Kuala Lumpur. Lots of lucious photos.
- Kampung Boy City Gal
- Another foodie blog from Malaysia, this one from Cyberjaya. This post is all about the renowned Kajang sate, and like all their posts, it has great photos.
- Satay: Wikipedia
- For the full story on satay and all its variations, look here. In Indonesia you can find satay Madura, satay Lilit, satay Padang, saté Susu, satay Makassar, satay Meranggi, and satay Kulit. Another variation from Malaysia is common in Malacca -- satay celup, or steamboat satay, which is like meat fondue or the Japanese shabu-shabu.
- Mamak stall: Wikipedia
- "The mamak stall has been etched permanently into Malaysian culture, much in part because of its ubiquitous nature, especially in cities. The popular culture of hanging out at mamak stalls has permeated all walks of life in Malaysian society. Thus, the mamak stall is very much a melting pot of cultures, a symbol of multiracial harmony."
Malaysian Cooking
Lonely Planet World Food Malaysia and Singapore (Lonely Planet World Food Guides)
A really good book to have if you will be staying in Malaysia for more than a week. Make sure you do not miss any of the culinary highlights of this culture!
Amazon Price: (as of 07/05/2009) 
The Food and Cooking of Malaysia & Singapore
Amazon Price: $23.10 (as of 07/05/2009)
Cradle of Flavor: Home Cooking from the Spice Islands of Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia
Amazon Price: $23.10 (as of 07/05/2009)
Authentic Recipes from Malaysia (Authentic Recipes Series)
Amazon Price: $10.36 (as of 07/05/2009)
Asian Grilling: 85 Satay, Kebabs, Skewers and Other Asian-Inspired Recipes for Your Barbecue
Amazon Price: $18.96 (as of 07/05/2009)
More About Malaysia
- Malaysia Blog
- Entries from when I lived in Malaysia, 2004-2005.
- Fiction About Malaysia
- Books I have read and liked.
- Malaysia Index
- Facts, links, and tips about Malaysia.
- Malaysia Experience
- This lens provides a quick glance at all of my photo sets from Malaysia on Flickr. If you want to see what different parts of Malaysia and Borneo look like, this is a quick and easy way to do so.
