Vegiterra

Passport & Plate - Vegan Satay with Peanut Sauce

Indonesia | Saturday, February 21, 2015 | 5 photos

<INGREDIENTS>
1 cup TVP chunks
8-10 bamboo skewers
2 cups vegetable broth
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons powdered lemongrass
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce

Balinese Peanut sauce
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup water
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons ginger, chopped
4 kaffir lime leaves
1 teaspoon chili sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
oil for frying

<HOW TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE>
Peanut Sauce
1. In a frying pan, heat a few drops of oil over medium heat.
2. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for 2-3 minutes so that the flavors develop.
3. Add the remainder of ingredients and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes.
4. Allow to cool; remove and discard the lime leaves.

Satay
1. In a large pot, boil the broth, remove from heat and add the TVP chunks. Let the TVP absorb the liquid until they are soft (about 10 minutes).
2. Once the broth and TVP has cooled, hold a handful of TVP over the sink and squeeze out all the liquid. Repeat until all TVP is drained.
3. In a sealable container mix soy sauce, garlic, ginger and lemongrass with the TVP and marinate for at least 20 minutes.
4. Skewer 4-5 pieces of TVP per satay stick, and cook over a grill or barbeque until toasty-brown.
5. Once cooked, slather in delicious peanut sauce.

<THE STORY BEHIND THIS RECIPE>
My motorbike’s tires sliced across torrents of water as I drove through eastern Bali during the peak of rainy season. Fellow motorists laughed gleefully as they splashed through the roadway river. If you’re soaked, you might as well make the best of it! Arriving in the regency capital of Klungkung, I spotted an awning under which I could park for shelter. A friendly woman dressed in a pink t-shirt and pajama pants called to me from inside, her face beaming: “Selamat sore!” (Good afternoon!) She invited me to come in and dry off. It turned out I had parked in front of a small Hare Krishna vegetarian restaurant – a blissful coincidence since I’m vegetarian! The woman was eager to share samples of vegan krupuk (fried crackers usually made with shrimp) and satay lathered in the best peanut sauce I’d ever had in my life! With my limited command of Indonesian, I told her how delighted I was with the food. She took me into her kitchen and gave me an impromptu cooking lesson, showing me how to prepare and cook this mind-blowing street food, fragrant with lime leaves, ginger, and garlic. Even though we couldn’t really speak each other’s languages, we clearly communicated through food – something truly universal and transcendent. I regularly recreate what she taught me that day, bringing the sensational flavor of her peanut sauce wherever I go. This experience showed me how flavors bring people together, how sharing food and recipes serves the purpose of spreading joy, making the world a more engaging, social place! I follow her example and share my flavorful creations through my blog and pop-up restaurant.