Indonesian Tofu Satés
Submitted by happyzhangbo
Indonesian tofu satés marinated in sweet kecap manis and garlic, skewered, and broiled until the edges catch color. Served with a quick peanut-chili dipping sauce for a vegetarian take on a Southeast Asian street food classic.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
18 minREADY
2½ hrsIndonesian satés traditionally lean on chicken or beef, but extra-firm tofu soaks up the sweet-salty marinade like a sponge and grills up with crisp, burnished edges. The marinade hinges on kecap manis, Indonesia’s thick, molasses-like sweet soy sauce. If you’ve never used it, grab a bottle. Nothing else has the same caramel depth, and it’s the reason these satés taste authentic and not just like soy-glazed tofu.
Reserving 2 tablespoons of marinade before it touches the tofu is a clever move. You whisk that portion with peanut butter, ketchup, and hot sauce for an instant dipping sauce that echoes the saté flavor rather than competing with it.
A long marinade matters for tofu. Two hours minimum, overnight ideal. The longer it sits, the deeper that kecap manis flavor penetrates into the cubes.
Kitchen Tips
- Press the tofu hard before cubing. Wrap in towels, weigh down with a heavy skillet for 20 minutes, and squeeze out as much water as possible so the marinade has room to soak in.
- Wrap the exposed ends of wooden skewers with foil before broiling or they will ignite.
- Broil close to the heat source (upper third of oven) for browning, not just heating. Flip once the tops show caramelized edges.
- Natural peanut butter gives the dipping sauce a looser, more traditional texture. Skip the sugary shelf-stable stuff.
Variations
- Swap kecap manis for regular soy sauce plus brown sugar in a pinch (2 tbsp soy + 1 tbsp brown sugar).
- Add a squeeze of lime juice to the peanut sauce for brightness.
- Thread bell pepper chunks between tofu cubes for color and a bit of crunch.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine kecap manis, soy sauce, garlic, oil, vinegar, cumin and coriander in a small bowl.
Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade in a medium bowl.
Place tofu in a large sealable plastic bag.
Pour the remaining marinade into the bag.
Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Add peanut butter, water, ketchup and hot sauce to taste to the reserved marinade and whisk to combine.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.
Line a broiler pan or baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray.
Remove the tofu from the marinade and thread equal amounts onto six 12-inch skewers.
(If using wooden skewers, cover the exposed end of each skewer with foil to prevent burning.)
Broil the skewers until the tofu is heated through, 6 to 8 minutes per side.
Serve the satés with the reserved peanut sauce for dipping.
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