Balinese Chicken Sate (Sate Lilit Ayam)

Yield: 17-18 sate
Ingredients:
200 chicken mince
1/3 cup cup fresh grated coconut
4 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
17 bamboo skewers or 17 stalks lemongrass
salt to taste

Spices to grind:
6 shallots
5 garlic cloves
5 red chillies
2 bird eye chillies
2 candle nuts, crushed and toasted
20g fresh kaempferia galanga (kencur), chopped
30gr fresh turmeric, chopped
40gr fresh galangal, chopped
3 kaffir lime leaves, torn
2 Indonesian bay leaves (daun salam)
1 lemongrass, bruised
½ tsp shrimp paste (terasi/belachan)
2 tbsp shaved coconut sugar, substitute palm sugar or brown sugar
Coconut oil or vegetable oil for frying

Directions:
To make the spice paste:

1. Using mortar and pestle or food processor, combine all ingredients except lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and salam leaves and grind to smooth paste. Add a bit of water of cooking oil if needed to help blending.

2. Heat the oil in a wok, add the spice paste, lemongrass, salam leaves, and kaffir lime leaves. Cook over medium heat, cook until the spice paste becomes fragrant or has changed colour to almost golden brown. Set aside

To make the sate:
1. Place the chicken mince in a big bowl, add fresh grated coconut and finely sliced kaffir lime leaves, mix well to combine. Add 2 tablespoons of spice paste, season with salt. Mix until the chicken has evenly coated with the spice paste.

2. Take a heaped tablespoon of the mixture, place it on your palm and spread gently using the spoon. Take a bamboo skewer and place it onto the mixture, mould the mixture and press lightly onto the skewer. You can use fresh lemongrass as a skewer if you want.

3. Heat a non stick grilling pan, brush with oil, place and arrange the sate in the grilling pan. Grill each side for about 5 minutes until golden brown on both sides. You can always use the traditional way of grilling method – by using charcoal grill or coconut husk grill and grill about 4 minutes on both sides until golden brown.

You can keep the remaining base spice paste into sterilize jar for future use, refrigerated up to 3 weeks