Coconut Curry Chicken Satay

Slice chicken thin and against the grain for tenderness. The marinade tenderizes, so don't skip it. Soak skewers well to prevent burning. If peanut sauce is too thick, thin with coconut milk for extra tropical flavor.

Satay traces its origins to the street food culture of Java, the most populous island of what is now Indonesia, where it is widely believed to have developed in the 19th century as a local adaptation of the Indian kebab. Arab and Indian Muslim traders arriving at Javanese ports brought with them the tradition of grilling spiced meat on skewers, and Javanese street vendors adapted the technique using bamboo skewers, local spices — lemongrass, turmeric, coriander, galangal — and coconut shell charcoal. The term saté appeared in Dutch around 1870 in Java in the Dutch East Indies, and the word first entered English in 1917 in a reference to a satai seller in Singapore. By the 19th century, Wikipedia confirms that street vendors selling skewered grilled meats were documented across Java, the Malay Peninsula, Singapore, and Siam. The peanut sauce that became satay's most recognisable accompaniment arrived via the Manila galleon trade: peanuts, native to South America, were introduced to Southeast Asia by Portuguese and Spanish merchants in the 16th century and quickly became popular across the region. Coconut milk marinades — the basis of this recipe — became characteristic of the Malaysian and Thai variants of satay as the dish spread beyond its Javanese home. Dutch colonisation transported satay to the Netherlands, where it became a beloved feature of Rijsttafel, and Malay immigrants from the Dutch East Indies brought it to South Africa, where it is known as sosatie. By the time tiki bars and Polynesian-themed restaurants proliferated across mid-century America, satay had already travelled most of the world.