Showing how satay is prepared ‘the Javanese way’

Satay in Indonesia is usually accompanied by 'nasi lotong’, slices of shallots, and spicy peanut sauce.

By Wilfred Pilo

KUCHING, Jan 26: Indonesian Nurzen wants to bring a taste of his homeland to Sarawak by showing how satay is usually prepared in his home country.

Nurzen, who is of Javanese descent, first noted the difference between Sarawakians and Indonesians when it came to the creamy peanut sauce they preferred to dip the satay in.

He noted that while Indonesians preferred their satay sauce spicy, Sarawakians, on the other hand, preferred theirs to be sweeter—something he realised after serving grilled satay in Sarawak for the last 13 years.

“Unless the customer requests spicy sauce, we always prepare our spicy-sweet creamy peanut sauce,” he said.

Nurzen giving the thumbs-up.

Nurzen said the recipe for their peanut sauce is no secret, as, in general, the dipping sauce is usually a mixture of coconut milk, fish sauce, crushed peanuts, soy sauce, chilli flakes, and spices.

“I hope people who love grilled satay meat, be it lamb, beef, or chicken, will know the differences,” he told DayakDaily when met at the Indonesian Food Bazaar organised by the Consulate General of Indonesia in Kuching recently.

On how the satay dishes came about to our food scene, Nurzen said that such grilled dishes are adaptations of kebabs or skewered meat dishes from the Indian subcontinent introduced to Java in the 18th century before spreading to Southeast Asia.

“Since it is a common dish here and in Indonesia, as culinary practitioners who love food, I always acknowledge the food’s long history and how the food came into existence in this part of the world,” he said.

Nurzen believes that respecting food and knowing where it originated prompted him to want customers to enjoy the dish and learn about its origins.

“That is why I like my satay to be prepared like the Javanese did. I also want people to know my Indonesian background,” he said.

Nurzen added that Indonesians like to have the satay dish with white rice cooked in wrapped banana leaves.

“The rice cooked this way is called ‘nasi lotong’. Here, they call it ‘nasi impit’. There is no difference other than the name it is known by.”

Nurzen, who also operates a stall at 4th Mile in Kuching, shared that Indonesians usually enjoy their satay dishes with rice, slices of shallots, and creamy spicy peanut sauce.

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Nurzen’s kitchen crew mixing the peanut sauce for their grilled satay dishes.