Method
- Marinate meat with lemongrass, turmeric, ginger, garlic, palm sugar, kicap manis, coriander, salt and oil for 4 hours.
- Make peanut sauce: blend roasted peanuts with palm sugar, tamarind, water and 2 tsp of marinade. Simmer 8 minutes until thick.
- Thread meat onto soaked skewers, packed close.
- Grill over charcoal 2-3 minutes per side, basting with leftover marinade.
- Pile the cooked skewers high on a serving plate.
- Serve with peanut sauce, sliced onion and ketupat rice cakes.
Common questions
Can Brunei Satay be made ahead?
Brunei Satay is best made and eaten the same day, but the components can be prepped earlier — chop and measure the ingredients up to a day ahead, refrigerated separately. Final cooking takes about 15 minutes.
Is Brunei Satay spicy?
Brunei Satay as written is mild to mildly warming — the heat comes from aromatics rather than chili. Add fresh sliced chili or chili oil at the end if you'd like to push it spicier.
Is Brunei Satay vegetarian or gluten-free?
This recipe is suitable for most diets. If you have specific restrictions, the substitutions section in each ingredient note covers the most common swaps.
How hard is Brunei Satay to make at home?
Brunei Satay sits at intermediate difficulty — total time about 45 minutes. The ingredients are not unusual but the timing requires attention.
Can Brunei Satay be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 4 servings. To scale, multiply each ingredient proportionally; the cooking times stay the same up to about double the volume. Beyond that, expect to cook in batches because of pan size and heat distribution.
Cultural Note
Brunei satay is shared with Indonesian-Malay satay traditions. The Brunei version uses more turmeric than neighbouring versions, and the sauce uses local palm sugar.
