Sate Madura
Chicken satay from Madura with thick peanut sauce
The recipe
Sate Madura is Indonesia's most famous satay — and the one most tourists know. The skewers are small pieces of chicken, marinated in a sweet-savory spice paste of turmeric, coriander, garlic, and palm sugar, grilled over charcoal, then served with a thick peanut sauce that is the defining feature. Unlike Sate Padang (which uses a yellow curry sauce) or Sate Maranggi (which uses kecap), Sate Madura's soul is the peanut sauce — chunky, spicy, with a balance of palm sugar and tamarind. A portion of 10 skewers with rice cake (lontong) and a few spoonfuls of peanut sauce is the classic Madurese presentation.
Ingredients
Method
💡 Tips from the kitchen
- ·The peanut sauce is the soul. Don't be afraid to use more chilies — Madura people love heat.
- ·Chicken thigh is better than breast — it stays juicy on the grill.
- ·Sate Madura keeps well in the fridge; the peanut sauce gets better the next day.
The story
Did you know?
🇮🇩 Indonesia has 17,000+ islands — only 6,000 are inhabited.
Cook it yourself
Sate Madura is one of Indonesia's heritage dishes. Want to try the recipe at home?
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