RECIPE: STIR FRIED CHICKEN IN SATAY SAUCE

I have to acknowledge ‘My Kitchen Snippets’ for the inspiration of this dish. After seeing her skewered chicken with satay sauce, it brought back memories of eating satay in Malaysia. Unfortunately the current season and weather here does not inspire one to have a BBQ …. so as a compromise, I made chicken in satay sauce instead.

If I could have been bothered, or if I was making proper satay, I would have made my own satay sauce with ground peanuts and spices. However I find that the commercially available satay sauce works just as well with some ‘modifications’.

By the way, we had Chilli Crab today….yum yum. I will post the recipe in the next few days.

Ingredients
750 g chicken breast or thighs – cubed
2 large handfuls of snake or French beans – cut into 4 cm lengths
2 brown onions – quartered and sliced finely
½ thumb size ginger – minced
4 cloves garlic – minced
1 tin Malaysian or Singaporean made satay sauce such as Ayam Brand (hot variety), Glory or Dragon Phoenix – trust me, this variety makes a difference to the flavour!
Chilli powder and salt to taste
1 cup water or thin coconut milk
Few splashes of fish sauce
2 tbsp veg oil

Method
Heat oil in a pot or wok and fry the onions, garlic and ginger until aromatic and the onions have softened.

Add in the chicken and fry until the chicken is nearly cooked. Season with a few splashes of the fish sauce. This gives it a slightly sour taste.

Add in the tin of satay sauce, mix well and season with chilli powder if desired. Add in the beans and water/coconut milk and cook until the beans are done and the gravy is to your desired consistency. Check seasoning and add salt if required. Remember, the satay sauce would have some salt added to it by the manufacturer and also there is salt from the fish sauce. Lift and serve hot with rice and some stir fried vegetables. Voila!