Susan Jung'S Recipes For Chicken Satay With Peanut Sauce

Rinse the rice several times, until the water is almost clear, then drain it. Stir in one teaspoon of salt and 360ml of water (or more, if needed). Put the ingredients in a rice cooker and steam until done. While the rice is still very hot, mix it roughly, to break up the grains (but not so much that it turns into a paste). Very lightly oil a pan then line it as smoothly as possible with cling-film. Press the rice into the pan so that it is about 2.5cm deep. Lay a sheet of cling-film smoothly on top of the rice. Place another pan on the cling-film, weigh it down so that it compresses the rice, then refrigerate overnight.

Pound the lemongrass and galangal in a mortar. Add the shallot and garlic and continue to pound until a rough paste is formed. Scrape the ingredients into a bowl and add the palm sugar, turmeric, curry powder, coconut milk, 5ml of cooking oil and one teaspoon of salt. Combine thoroughly, then taste; add more salt, if needed. Cut the chicken into strips and mix with the marinade. Cover with cling-film and leave at room temperature for about an hour. Soak wooden skewers in cold water (this prevents them from burning when you cook the satay).

Make the sauce. Put the coriander seeds, peanuts, curry paste and palm sugar in a mortar and pound to a paste. Heat 5ml of oil in a saucepan, add the coconut cream and bring to the boil. Add the peanut/curry paste mixture and stir well to combine. Bring to the boil then lower the heat. Simmer for about five minutes, until the mixture is thick and the oil floats to the surface.

Thread the chicken onto the soaked skewers. Lightly oil a grill pan or barbecue grill and lay the skewers on top. Cook the satay on high heat, until the chicken is cooked through and lightly charred at the edges, turning the skewers as needed. Pour the sauce into a bowl. Cut the nasi impit into two-bite-sized pieces. Arrange the satay and nasi impit on a plate, add the sauce, cucumber and red onion, then serve.