Satay, or sate as Indonesian usually spell it, is one of the most popular and favourite dishes in Indonesia. Each satay has its own unique taste, coming from various region of Indonesia too. These are some of the top satays in Indonesia:
Sate Ayam – Chicken Satay
Chicken satay is the most popular one which you can easily find sold by street vendors all the way up to upper-class restaurants or hotels. It is one of the go-to dishes for dinner when you don’t have enough time to cook at home. The ideal Indonesian chicken satay is a skewer of chicken chunks marinated in soy sauce and spices and grilled, served with a delicious peanut sauce on top. Indonesians love to eat it with either lontong – rice cake – or rice.
Sate Kambing – Lamb Satay
Just like chicken satay, lamb satay can also be easily found. If you are into a more soft and chewy texture, lamb satay is the way to go. Lamb satay is made from young lamb meat and washed with pineapple water beforehand to make the meat tender. They serve it with good old sweet soy sauce, preferably complemented with a mix of diced tomatoes, cabbage, cucumber, and chopped chillies on the side.
Sate Maranggi – Maranggi Satay
If you like spicy food, Maranggi satay is worth a try. Originally come from Purwakarta, West Java, Sate Maranggi is made either with lamb or beef. You get good heat from eating this because the meat gets marinated with green chilli paste and cuka lahang; vinegar made from sugarcane.
Sate Padang – Padangnese Satay
Going to a Padang restaurant can be overwhelming to some people, particularly if they can’t stand spicy food. If that’s the case, ordering sate Padang is an option for you. Made with beef chunks or ox tongue, satay Padang is served with special sauce. However, there may be some satay Padang that has a spicier flavour; it can be made according to your personal tastes.
Sate Buntel – Buntel Satay
Eating fatty meat is acceptable once in a while. Sate Buntel is made from minced beef or lamb from the belly or ribs area. The fatty meat will then be wrapped in the meat’s membrane. Sate Buntel is then wrapped on bamboo skewers and grilled. Of course, it comes with sweet soy sauce, but with ground pepper this time.
Sate Kerang – Scallop Satay
Don’t worry, if you don’t like red meat, this one can be put on your bucket list. Scallop satay is different because it is not grilled like any other satay. This food from Surabaya, East Java, is definitely famous among teenagers. Scallop satay is cooked in hot and sweet spices and eaten along with Lontong Balap; a rice cake dish from Surabaya.
Sate Ambal – Ambal Satay
This dish can be found in Ambal, Kebumen, Central Java, and is actually made from chicken although it’s served in a different sauce. The sauce is made from crushed tempeh, chillies, and spices. This satay is best consumed with ketupat; cooked rice compressed and wrapped in coconut leaves.
Sate Usus – Intestine Satay
If you like to try new and bizarre food, sate usus is the way to go. Usually, you’ll find it at bubur ayam, or chicken porridge, street vendor stalls. Usus is actually intestines, boiled and then fried before serving.
Source: Indoindians