When the word steamboat is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is probably the piping hot soup and the various fresh ingredients that you plop into the soup. Put that thought of steamboat aside for now because Satay Celup is going to give you a new idea of what steamboat can be. Based on the name, it is understandable that you might misunderstand this dish to be a variation of Satay, when in fact, it means Steamboat Satay.
At this point, you might be wondering how a steamboat satay works. Instead of the typical soup base and a selection of fresh ingredients, an assortment of raw and semi-cooked seafood, meat and vegetable skewers are dunked into a hot boiling pot of satay gravy. Put simply, it is like an elaborate version of the standard Satay, having a more communal way of eating Satay.
Origin of Satay Celup
Being a dish that originated from Melaka, it is no wonder that Stay Celup is such a well-loved dish there. Besides the exciting selection of skewers available, its affordable price is another one of its attraction as well. In Melaka, Satay Celup is sold at prices that start as low as 80 cents. So, what is there not to like about this dish?
Although the selection of skewers is essential, most would agree that the star of the dish is the satay gravy. Without a good satay gravy, Satay Celup is just a disappointment; that is why every Satay Celup store has its unique recipe for the sauce, some thicker or spicier than the others. With that said, the concept of Satay Celup is generally that of self-service, where the beauty of this is that you will get to customise your own dining experience. If the satay sauce is too spicy, you can even get some plain water to wash off some of the sauce. That’s just how versatile this dish is.
Satay Celup Recipe
Though Satay Celup is relatively straightforward in terms of its concept, we have rated it as having a medium level of difficulty as the preparation may be tedious. Even so, with patience, you will have no problem completing Satay Celup..
Difficulty: Medium
Details
4
60 minutes
30 minutes
Depends on what skewer you take
Print
Ingredients For Stock
2.5 litres of water
2 chickens (cut into pieces)
400 grams of pork bones (cut into pieces)
1 teaspoon of peppercorn (crushed)
Ingredients For Spice paste
2 stalks of lemongrass (sliced)
8 shallots (peeled and sliced)
80 grams of galangal (thinly sliced)
15 dried red chillies (soaked and cut into 4cm lengths)
20 grams of candlenut
¾ tablespoon of coriander seeds (roasted)
½ tablespoon of fennel seeds (roasted)
25 grams of garlic (peeled and sliced)
½ cup of cooking oil
50 grams of palm sugar (adjust according to taste)
½ tablespoon of salt
150-200 grams of peanut (fried and coarsely grounded)
If you don’t feel like making the sauce from scratch, you could get Brahim’s Kuah Satay as well
Ingredients For Skewers
Bamboo skewers
300 grams of beef and chicken (sliced or cubed)
500 grams of medium-sized prawns (shelled)
400 grams of squid (cleaned and cut into 4cm squares)
350 grams of cuttlefish (cleaned and cut into 4cm squares)
250 grams of meatballs
250 grams of fish balls
250 grams of crabsticks
200 grams of shelled cockles
10 tofu puff (slit and stuffed with a slice of cucumber each)
20 hard-boiled quailed eggs (shelled)
1 packet of fresh mushrooms
Ingredients can be modified according to your preference
Directions
- Start by preparing the stock. In a pot of boiling water, add chicken, pork and peppercorns. Simmer it over low heat for about 30 to 40 minutes.
- Then, strain the stock and set it aside. You should end up with approximately 1.5 litres of stock, otherwise, top it up with water.
- Moving on to preparing the satay gravy (omit the following steps if you have bought the Brahim’s kuah satay). In an electric blender, blend the spice paste ingredients until it has a fine consistency.
- In a wok, heat some oil and add the spice paste. Sauté the paste until fragrant (tip: try to keep stirring to prevent burning). T hen, add the stock, palm sugar, salt, and ground peanuts, and let t simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. After that, transfer the gravy to a pot.
- Moving on to preparing the food skewers, thread the ingredients onto the bamboo skewers similar to when cooking Satay (make sure to leave a section of the bamboo skewer empty to serve as a handle). Once that is done, cover the skewers with a cling film and keep it refrigerated until ready to serve.
- Finally, it’s time to assemble the dish. Set a portable stove in the centre of the table, and bring the pot of gravy over to it. Then, arrange the skewered foods around the hotpot, and start dipping it into the simmering sauce! (Note: try to keep stirring the sauce to prevent clumping at the bottom).
Ways to Enjoy Satay Celup
Sure, it may be tempting to keep all the delicious goodness to yourself, but Satay Celup is best enjoyed with the company of others. So call up your friends and family and enjoy a feast filled with joy and laughter. On top of that, you could also prepare some barley drinks, coconut water, or herbal tea to combat the spiciness of the sauce.
Explore other popular Malaysian delights with Lokataste Recipe and more!
