Vegan Satay Skewers with Peanut Sauce

This tofu satay skewers recipe is a vegan twist to the classic Asian satay. These perfectly crispy tofu are pair with a delicious peanut dipping sauce.

Satay is truly one of my favourite childhood dishes. Perfectly grilled meat that is marinated with a variety of Malaysian herbs and spices, plus a peanut sauce to dip in, it is one of the most famous Malaysian delicacies out there. It is also my top priority dishes to veganise.

What is Satay ?

For those of you who never heard of Satay, let me give you a short introduction! Satay is basically small pieces of meat ( either pork, chicken or beef, sometimes even rabbit meat ) that is seasoned and grilled on a skewer. It is a popular Malaysian and Indonesian delicacies and are usually sell by street vendors. Oftentimes, they are served with a peanut dipping sauce that really takes the flavour of Satay to a whole new level.

This tofu Satay recipe is not only vegan, but is also a much simple version of the traditional ones. Authentic Satay and the peanut dipping sauce usually needs a range of different herbs and spices and takes a few hours to make, but this recipe only requires 11 ingredients and 1 hour. Yes, let me repeat it again. 10 ingredients and 1 hour is all you need !

How to make

Start by pressing your tofu using a tofu press. If you do not have one, simply sandwich your tofu between 2 flat surface ( eg a flat plate ) and place something heavy on top. ( A stack of books, a heavy pot etc). Let your tofu press for at least 30 mins. Then, cut them into about 1 inch cubes.

Combine all ingredients needed for the marinade and mix well. Toss in the cubed tofu and let it marinade for at least 20 minutes. The longer you marinade the tofu, the more flavourful it is. ( You can also choose to marinade the tofu overnight in the fridge. )

Preheat oven to 200c / 400f. Skewer the tofu cubes onto your bamboo skewers, placing about 4-5 cubes on each skewers. Place it in a baking tray on the top rack of the oven and let it bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.

In the meantime, prepare your peanut sauce by simply combining all ingredients needed. Give it a taste and add in more seasonings, if needed.

Garnish and serve your tofu skewers !

Q & A / Notes

Can I make them gluten-free ?

Yes ! This can be done by swapping the soy sauce with tamari.

Can I grill my tofu satay ?

The answer is 100% yes. Simply grill each sides for 3-4 minutes, or until tofu are slightly charred.

How do I store them ?

Store them in a container and place it in the fridge. The satay can last for up to 3 days.

Which type of peanut butter should I use ?

For those of you who don’t know, peanut butter can be categorized into 2 types – Natural and conventional. I am using natural peanut butter here, the type that only contains peanuts and/or salt.

Here are more vegan dinner recipes to try out :

• Easy Vegan Black Bean Burgers
• Peanut Butter Roasted Chickpeas
• Chinese Style Vegan Tofu Mince
• Vegan Sweet and Sour Chickpeas

Vegan Satay Skewers with Peanut Sauce Recipe

meesha

This tofu satay skewers recipe is a vegan twist to the classic Asian satay. These perfectly crispy tofu are pair with a delicious peanut dipping sauce.

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Prep Time 40 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 1 hr

Course Main Course

Cuisine Malaysian

Servings 4 servings

Calories 145 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 14 oz block extra firm tofu pressed and diced

For the marinade

• 2 tablespoon soy sauce / tamari
• 2 stalk lemongrass
• 2 teaspoon curry powder
• 2 teaspoon maple syrup ( or other liquid sweetener of choice )

For the peanut sauce

• 2 tablespoon natural peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce / tamari
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar ( or other vinegar of choice )
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1-2 tablespoon s coconut milk
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder ( optional, exclude to omit heat )

Instructions

 

• Start by preparing the lemongrass. Remove only the white part of the lemongrass and finely chop it.
• Combine all ingredients needed for the marinate and give it a mix. Add in the tofu and let it marinade for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 200c / 400f.
• Place 4-5 pieces of tofu on each skewers. Repeat it until all tofu are skewered.
• Transfer the tofu to a lined baking tray, Bake it in the oven on the uppermost layer for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
• While the tofu is baking, make the peanut sauce. Simply combine all ingredients needed for peanut sauce and give it a mix. Give it a taste and add more seasonings, if needed.
• Serve up your satay skewers with the peanut sauce !

Notes

 Satay can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.