Satti

Ingredients

Measure and prepare everything before you begin cooking.

• 700 g boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2 cm pieces
• 1 tbsp neutral oil for chicken, plus 1 tbsp for sauce and 1 tsp for the grill
• 3 garlic cloves, minced, divided
• 1 tsp ground turmeric, divided
• ½ tsp fine salt for chicken, plus extra to taste for sauce
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 15 g fresh ginger, finely grated
• 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 tsp food-grade annatto powder
• ½ tsp mild curry powder
• ½–1 tsp chilli flakes, to taste
• 750 ml low-salt chicken stock
• 3 tbsp brown sugar, plus more by teaspoons to taste
• 2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with 3 tbsp cold water
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper, to taste
• 100 ml hot water, used only if needed to thin the sauce
• Freshly cooked steamed rice, to serve
• 12 small bamboo skewers, soaked at least 30 minutes, or metal skewers

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix chicken with 1 tablespoon oil, 1 garlic clove, ½ teaspoon turmeric and ½ teaspoon salt. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Soak bamboo skewers during this time, if using. Keep raw-chicken utensils separate.

2. 2

   Heat remaining oil in a saucepan. Soften onion for 4 minutes. Add remaining garlic and ginger for 1 minute, then tomatoes for 4–5 minutes until softened.

3. 3

   Stir in remaining turmeric, annatto, curry powder and ½ teaspoon chilli flakes for 30 seconds. Add stock and sugar and gently simmer for 10 minutes. Taste before adding pepper, extra chilli, sugar or salt.

4. 4

   Stir the cold cornflour slurry again, then whisk it into the simmering sauce in a thin stream. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until glossy and lightly thickened. Add a little hot water if it becomes too thick to pour. Keep hot over very low heat.

5. 5

   Thread chicken loosely onto skewers. Heat a lightly oiled grill or grill pan to medium. Cook for about 10–15 minutes, turning regularly; check the thickest pieces reach 75°C for 30 seconds. Shield bamboo handles from direct heat. Discard leftover raw marinade.

6. 6

   Use clean tongs and a clean plate for cooked chicken. Ladle generous hot sauce into shallow bowls and rest the cooked skewers partly in it. Serve promptly with freshly cooked rice, prepared while the sauce simmers.