I've called this a satay but I suppose it is actually not a satay. A satay would be grilled on a barbecue I imagine. It's already plant based, instead of the traditional meat satay. I'll just give it a name to describe what it looks like okay?
This is my take on a dish I had in Bali Indonesia, at a Waroeng called Sibogana in Ubud. I have no idea what it was made from but it was plant based, and it was made from minced items then put on skewers. It was a relaxing place with a great atmosphere. The food was nice and these skewers were what stuck in my mind the most. They were deep fried but I allow that for myself, from time to time.
Using items available from the local grocers and my kitchen, I came up with mushrooms as the first thought. I bought cremini and oysters. There's not much to choose from that is affordable.
I happened to have a piece of tempeh in the fridge. I thought why not pay tribute with it. Indonesia has the best tempeh in the world.
I could have used beans but tempeh is good for absorbing flavours. I decided to grind it up into a mince.
The ingredients were simple. I could have made these super spicy, but I wanted to make them resemble what I remember of the ones in Bali. They were not spicy but flavorful.
The only items I cooked before adding to the mix, was the onion and garlic.
Cooking the onion and garlic would contribute to the moisture in the mix along with the moisture from the mushrooms.
I put the cremini mushrooms in the processor to mince.
I only minced the cremini and left the oyster mushrooms whole. Oyster mushroom have a bit of a meaty texture which I decided to keep in.
Then I minced the tempeh but not too fine. I kept it some what like a ground meat texture.
Tempeh can turn into a paste if you keep it in the processor to long.
I needed some kind of binder so I opted for ground red lentils. Chickpea flour or rice flour would be okay as well I imagine. It's just that I have a ridiculous amount of red lentils.
When I worked at the restaurant that closed, I ordered several kilos. I paid the company price for it. Now I'm stuck with too many. What is shown in my hands is not all of it.
It works great in place of chickpea or garbanzo bean flour. It kind of tastes similar but milder in my opinion.
Red lentils are easy and fast to grind in a small blender or bullet blender.
This lentil flour will absorb the liquid and cook in the liquid from the mushrooms and other items, binding everything together. This is what is so great about these lentils.
Vegan minced satay
Tempeh 230 g
Cremini mushrooms 230g
Oyster mushrooms 230g
Red lentils 150g
Carrot grated 100g
Onion 150 g
Garlic 20g
Onion powder 1 tsp
Garlic powder 1 tsp
Paprika 1 tsp
White pepper 1 tsp
Black pepper 1 tsp
Thyme 1 tsp
Toasted ground cumin 1 tsp
Salt to taste
I'm sure that chili, ginger, shallot, cilantro and other warm spices would be a great addition as well.
The grated carrots are added raw for texture and moisture.
I did not add any liquid to this mix. I wasn't sure at first if I would have to but I got lucky. The moisture from all of the items were perfectly sufficient.
The oyster mushrooms are quite delicate. I didn't want to mince away their texture so I just mixed them in breaking them.
I added part of the red lentil flour then mixed to see if I needed more. It was eventually all thrown in. I was amazed at my estimation. I didn't need more and it wasn't too much.
The mixture was mixed well then squeezed into long football shapes similar to the ones I have had. I guess they were a little rounder then the satay in Bali but it didn't matter.
I fried them enough to brown them all over then finished them in the oven at around 350F.
The peanut sauce was simple with ingredients that I had in the fridge. This would probably differ from peanut sauce found in Indonesia but it really did the job and it takes minutes.
Peanut sauce
Peanut butter 100g
Soy sauce or tamari 50g
Vegetarian mushroom sauce 20g
Garlic 20g
Ginger 5g
Agave 40g
Vinegar 20g
Lime juice 30g
Sesame oil 5g
Water 30g
This is a basic recipe. You could make it thinner or spicier by adding chilies or extra water, adjusting the flavors according to your liking.
The garlic and ginger were fried in a saucepan first then the rest of the ingredients were added and brought to a mild boil. It was stirred until smooth. I didn't put it in the blender as I sometimes do. I was going for a less liquid sauce.
If I were at a park and had my barbecue going, I would have put these on the grill instead of frying. I don't know if it would work but I would try it.
To accompany was broccoli, potato and basmati rice. Everything was good with the peanut sauce.
To make it more like a satay I stuck some large wooden picks in them. This made it easier to dip into the sauce.
With a sprinkle of dried chili flakes I received enough heat. It was barely spicy. Anyone who knows me would wonder how I didn't add more heat to this. I don't always want to have full spice stimulation. Warm spices are like a fiesta. Without them it can be more like a quiet get together. Both could be good.
Some of you won't understand my gibberish so never mind.
I did not eat this plate. This was Marc's plate. He gets to eat the photos.
Thanks for dropping by and have a nice day
Photos taken with a Nikon D7500 by me except for the ones of me, taken by my other half.