Hawker Style Chicken Satay Skewers with Sweet + Spicy Peanut Sauce

Gluten-free | Sugar-free | Dairy-free

Inspired by the Hawker markets of South East Asia, I created a healthy version of the famous Chicken Satay Skweres. If you've been to these markets, then you might've been lucky enough to pick up a dozen or two of their traditional chicken satay skewers hot off the charcoal grill. The smell of these skewers cooking on the barbecue sends my mind instantly to those markets, where fires burn through the night grilling skewer after skewer, offering the most tantalising sights and aroma. And, as we aren't really travelling at the moment, I decided to create a recipe so that our tastebuds don't have to miss out.

My version removes palm sugar and all the toxic substances typically found in vegetable or bean oils. My recipe is also free from sugar, gluten and dairy and uses healthy fats. 

Hints, Tips & Tricks

It's best to start this recipe the day before you eat them to allow the chicken to marinate overnight. Doing this will help the flavours to develop.

Feel free to use beef or lamb instead of chicken. You can also make the sauce using almonds, cashews or sunflowers instead of peanuts. 

This recipe requires Bridget's Sticky Sauce, a healthy cooking sauce I use in many of my recipes. It's simple, healthy and packs a lot of flavour without adding unnecessary calories. If you need the recipe, you can get it here.

I also use my Sweet As Fibre Syrup as a refined sugar substitute in this recipe due to its natural sweetness. My fibre syrup is a low-calorie prebiotic fibre that's made from 100% pure chicory. Feel free to use your own fibre syrup, but make sure to read the labels. Many companies lace their syrups with ingredients such as malt extract and stevia to make them sweeter. If your fibre syrup isn't golden, it probably isn't 100% pure. If you would like to purchase my Sweet As Fibre Syrup, click here.     

RECIPE

Ingredients

Marinade for the chicken 

• 2 tbsp avocado or coconut oil 
• 1 tbsp Bridget's Sticky Sauce
• 1 lemongrass stalk, whites only, chopped
• 1 small red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp chopped ginger
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1-2 tsp chilli powder, add as little or as much as you like
• 1 tsp mineral salt
• 2 tbsp Sweet as Fibre Syrup

The rest

• 2 tsp turmeric powder 
• 1 kg (2.2lb) chicken thigh, skinned, boned and cut into small cubes
• 30 bamboo skewers, soaked in cold water for at least 2 hours
• Coconut or avocado oil spray

Sweet and spicy peanut sauce 

Spice Paste

• 1-4 tbsp dried chilli flakes, soaked in hot water, using as little or as much as you like
• 1 heaped tbsp finely chopped garlic
• 1 heaped tbsp finely chopped ginger
• ½ small red onion, roughly chopped
• 1 stalk lemongrass, whites-only thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp lemongrass powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder

The rest

• 60 ml (2 oz) avocado oil or olive oil
• 3-4 tbsp Sweet as Fibre Syrup
• 2 tbsp Bridget's Sticky Sauce
• 2 tbsp tamarind pulp soaked in 100 ml boiling water for 20 minutes 
• 150 g (5.2 oz) roasted salted peanuts, processed until fine, but not a paste
• Mineral salt to taste
• 150-200 ml (5-7 oz) cold water  

Method

1. Place all the marinade ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. 
2. Place the cut chicken into a glass or metal bowl and sprinkle over the turmeric. Add the marinade and stir well with gloved hands or a spoon to ensure the marinade fully covers the cubes. 
3. Cover the bowl with cling film and allow the chicken to marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, to develop the flavours. 
4. Create the peanut sauce by placing all the spice paste ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. 
5. Heat a medium-sized pot on medium heat, add the avocado or olive oil followed by the spice paste. Stir fry, and cook for 5 minutes to bloom the spices. You are looking for a fragrant aroma and a slight colour change in the paste. 
6. Add three tablespoons of fibre syrup and sticky sauce and continue to cook the paste mixture for a further couple of minutes. 
7. Squeeze the tamarind pulp in the water to create a thick brown liquid. Discard any pulp leftover in your hand after squeezing. Add the tamarind liquid to the pot and the peanuts, one teaspoon salt and 150 ml of water. 
8. Allow the sauce to cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste the sauce for flavour, adding more water, salt or fibre syrup to taste. Keep the sauce warm while you cook the skewers. 
9. You can cook the skewers on a hot barbecue, heavy-bottomed frying pan or skillet set on medium to high or in the air fryer set at 200 C (390F) 
10. Using gloved hands, skewer approx 40 grams (1.2 oz) of marinated meat onto each soaked skewer and lightly spray with a bit of coconut oil or avocado oil. 
11. Cook the skewers on the hot barbecue or pan, often turning to ensure the skewers cook evenly. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until the skewers turn golden and are cooked through. e
12. If using your air fryer, spray the basket or rack with a bit of coconut or avocado oil. Then, lay a portion of the skewers into the basket in a single layer, leaving space between each to allow air to flow. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
13. Serve the skewers hot with a side dish of warm peanut sauce.