This recipe offers a flavorful take on chicken satay, featuring a rich marinade with warm spices and a creamy, chunky peanut sauce. Perfectly grilled chicken strips paired with a tangy cucumber pickle make a balanced and delicious meal.
Crush the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and white pepper into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder.
Add brown sugar, salt, turmeric, cinnamon, tamarind, and coconut milk to the spices and stir well to create the marinade.
Cut the chicken breasts into strips about half an inch thick, slicing diagonally against the grain for a more tender texture.
If using chicken thighs, trim off tendons and excess fat, then flatten to an even thickness to prevent flare-ups during grilling.
Place the chicken pieces into the marinade and toss to coat. Marinate for several hours or at least while you prepare the peanut sauce.
For the peanut sauce, roast the peanuts if not already roasted (homemade roasting is recommended), then roughly crush them with a blender or mortar and pestle to retain some texture—avoid turning them into peanut butter.
Pour one-third cup of coconut milk into a saucepan and bring it to a boil.
Stir in the red curry paste and cook for about 3 minutes until the sauce thickens and the coconut oil separates.
Add the remaining coconut milk, crushed peanuts, tamarind, and palm sugar, then simmer gently, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes until the sauce reaches a dipping consistency.
Taste and adjust seasoning by adding fish sauce to balance the saltiness as needed.