sate madura — East Java, Indonesia

Sate Madura is a dish of small skewers of meat, most often chicken, marinated and grilled over charcoal until lightly charred, then served with a thick, sweet peanut sauce. It belongs to the broad Indonesian satay family, distinguished by its particular sauce and seasoning. This version is reported from Madura island, off the coast of East Java, and from the wider East Java region where it has spread through itinerant vendors who carry a wooden cart and a small lamp, a familiar sight on street corners and at night markets across Java. Cubes of chicken are marinated in sweet soy sauce, garlic and ground coriander, then threaded onto slim bamboo skewers and grilled over charcoal, basted with oil so the surface chars without drying out. The sauce is made by grinding roasted peanuts with chili and a little water, then loosening it with more sweet soy sauce, salt and a squeeze of lime. What distinguishes this version is precisely that peanut and sweet soy sauce, thick and glossy, poured generously over small charcoal-grilled skewers — a combination that sets it apart from other Indonesian satays built on different spice pastes or sauces.