By Lara Lee
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- 4(645)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Caramelized pineapple, tofu and vegetables take center stage in these vegan satay, which are inspired by Indonesian charcoal-grilled skewers. Here, the smoky satay are glazed with sweet and sticky kecap manis, a fermented sweet soy sauce (see Tip), which also flavors the peanut sauce along with garlic, shallots and chile. The sauce is meant to be generously poured over the satay to serve, but any leftovers will last for one week in the refrigerator. The sauce thickens over time, so loosen it with extra water as needed. Serve the satay and peanut sauce with steamed rice or noodles, and a side of stir-fried greens or roast potatoes.
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Ingredients
Yield:24 skewers (4 to 6 servings)
- 1(14-ounce) package firm tofu, drained
- 5large scallions
- 1large eggplant (about 1 pound), cut into 1-inch cubes
- ½large (4-pound) pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 24(8-inch) bamboo skewers, soaked overnight (or at least 30 minutes)
- ¼cup neutral oil, such as canola
- 3tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola
- 2medium shallots, peeled and sliced
- 4long, red, medium-spicy chiles (such as serrano, cayenne or finger chiles), sliced and seeds removed, if you prefer less heat
- 6garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
- ⅔cup/150 grams crunchy peanut butter, natural or conventional
- 10tablespoons kecap manis (see Tip)
For the Satay
For the Peanut Sauce and Glaze
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
501 calories; 35 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 18 grams monounsaturated fat; 11 grams polyunsaturated fat; 33 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 17 grams sugars; 21 grams protein; 1490 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Prepare the satay: Place the tofu in a folded dish towel and gently press to remove excess liquid. Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes.
Step
2
Cut the thicker white and light green stalks of the scallions into 1-inch pieces. Thinly slice the thinner, dark green scallion stalks on the diagonal and reserve for the garnish.
Step
3
Make the peanut sauce: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add shallots, chiles and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor or blender. Add the peanut butter, 5 tablespoons kecap manis and ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon water, and blend until almost smooth. (It makes about 1 ½ cups.) Transfer sauce to a small bowl. (If the sauce thickens, add more water by the tablespoon until it is pourable.)
Step
4
Assemble the satay: Place a cube of eggplant onto a bamboo skewer, followed by a piece of pineapple, bell pepper, scallion, tofu and another piece of eggplant. Repeat with the remaining skewers.
Step
5
Heat the grill or a griddle pan over high. Use a pastry brush to dab the ¼ cup oil all over the skewers. Once hot, line the skewers on the grill or griddle pan, working in batches as needed. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, turning every 2 to 3 minutes with a metal spatula or tongs, until the eggplant is cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
Step
6
Prepare the glaze: Mix 4 tablespoons kecap manis with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Brush the glaze all over the skewers.
Step
7
Pool about 1 cup peanut sauce onto a large serving plate, spreading it close to the edges of the plate. Lay the cooked skewers on top, then spoon the remaining peanut sauce on top. Drizzle lightly with 1 tablespoon of kecap manis, and garnish with the sliced scallions.
Tip
- You will find kecap manis at most Asian supermarkets, and it is widely available online. You can substitute by mixing together equal parts dark soy sauce with palm sugar (or brown sugar). Gently warm on a low heat to dissolve the sugar. It will take about 1 minute, then transfer to a jar or bowl. It will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.
Ratings
4
out of 5
645
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Cooking Notes
Janet Fig
I was lazy and bought peanut sauce, then after chopping all I got lazier and decided to do it in the oven on a sheet pan. It was amazing! I did cook the eggplant for 20 minutes before adding all else for another 15 minutes. All came out tender and delish! Next time I will make the peanut sauce but I think I'm going to stick to the sheet pan method.
EGA
I baked this in the oven at 450° as someone suggested. I also coated my tofu in corn starch to give them a little crisp!
novice
Super delicious sauce! Some of the cooking steps were tricky for me. The tofu split when I tried to put it on the skewers, so I had to pan fry it instead in a bit of the kecap manis oil mixture. And I put a bit of olive oil on the pieces of veggies and fruit before skewering, because it was easier than doing it after. Also, I skewered bananas too and they worked well — I didn’t have the pineapple. You could put this sauce on anything and it would taste great! I served over couscous. Thanks!
Sam
Vegan dish perfect for a bbq, tasty enough that the meat-eaters will be fighting for some too! The peanut sauce is OUTSTANDING. A single jalapeño seeded was plenty spicy. I will put it on everything. Only gripe: Plain tofu? I would recommend some sort of marinade beforehand instead of going plain straight on a kebab, or give it a second baste with more kecap manis after grilling.
Dennis D
I was good with the cutting and skewering, etc....up until brushing on oil. With 24 skewers, it requires a sheet pan just to spread them out, at which point it would have been easier to toss everything in oil first and slip the pan into the oven, as suggested. Eggplant was tricky to get properly cooked on skewers. The tofu stuck to the grill - which was cleaned and oiled - and did not come off tasting all that great. Next time: corn starch, marinade, oven.
Binna
Could these be broiled?
Kevin
Don't be fooled by the picture, this is an aspirational meal which takes 3 hours and produces something less than excellent. First off, a bell pepper needs way less cooking time than a piece of eggplant so choose -- charcoal pepper or undercooked eggplant. The tofu falls off the skewers right away, even before the skewers burn up. Overall not even vaguely worth the trouble and that is without the odd Thai sauce available only in hidden ethnic neighborhoods of New York.
Cooking Is Fun
I strongly recommend extra firm tofu. I grilled these on a propane grill. The tofu fell apart. The sauce and glaze were delicious, though. I used a poblano pepper in the sauce because that's what was available in the supermarket.
Eric
Made this recipe mainly to test a homemade peanut sauce, and it's a winner. I've since made the sauce twice more for veggies and chicken. If the skewers seem like too much work, this recipe can easily be served over a rice bowl after a hot sautee. Of course, the skewers can have any collection of protein and/or produce, but I found the ingredients here to be perfectly lovely, balanced, and varied in texture.
Munch
I stuck to the ingredients, except for the added cornstarch to coat the extrafirm tofu, and then coated the tofu with the homemade manis. It was delish! I did bake veggies and tofu separately in the air fryer. Easy peasy. I added some liquid smoke for smokiness. The tofu was firm and had a great texture, which is not to be taken for granted! I added some seeds to the peanut sauce for heat. It was a nice balance. I certainly will make this again, and again!
Kenn
Didn’t have time for skewering it, so I dumped it all in a skillet and stirfried, glazing it toward the end. It came out terrific! The peanut sauce is definitely outstanding. Tried it again, and added mussels — even better!
Zoe
Great concept but flavors and execution is a bit off. Here’s what we did and this way, I would make it again: - make it on a sheet tray not skewers -coat tofu in potato starch and some oil- just enough to coat before on the sheet tray - the dish needs some kind of sour/salty element- we added a pepper relish
Dee
Not everyone has a Trader Joes, but for those who do, there's a vacuum sealed extra firm tofu with no liquid. It's quite firm and should hold up better on the skewers. (It's also great as it doesn't need pressing to get the water out.)
Adam
I've made this twice; once for the grill, once for the oven. Both turned out great. All the tofu hand-wringers, i assume, don't have much experience with tofu, it takes experience.
sloan
Made just the peanut sauce for a different dish. Very good.
Bram Middeldorp
Suggestion for making kecap manis: mix soy sauce with molasses.
Laura
There was twice as much sauce as needed but save it for another dish because it’s delicious! Only makes enough for 2 people.
Adrienne
I brought the peanut sauce and fixings to our ladies' campout - everyone pitched in to cut up the protein and veg, and to build the skewers. We made some with extra-firm tofu and some with chicken thighs, and they all turned out great on the campsite charcoal grill! Served with some mini-naans on the side, it was a filling meal. The peanut sauce got used up on burgers and dogs the next day :)
Kevin
Don't be fooled by the picture, this is an aspirational meal which takes 3 hours and produces something less than excellent. First off, a bell pepper needs way less cooking time than a piece of eggplant so choose -- charcoal pepper or undercooked eggplant. The tofu falls off the skewers right away, even before the skewers burn up. Overall not even vaguely worth the trouble and that is without the odd Thai sauce available only in hidden ethnic neighborhoods of New York.
edixon
Cooked on the hibachi and omitted the egg plant, was excellent
allison
Skip food processing step; just cook sauce in skillet and use. Delicious
melody
Not worth the effort tbh. Good sauce tho
GC
This is a great way to get through some produce from your CSA. Also, do yourself a favor and make double the satay sauce… I plan on having this on soba noodles and with spring rolls for the rest of the week. It’s amazing.
KSE
This was … not good. And the instructions are bizarre: why transfer sauce to a bowl only to pour it back out on a serving plate? Way too sweet with all of the pineapple plus the kecap manis. If you have any experience with stir fries, you’re probably better off improvising.
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