Recipe: Tasty Tofu Indonesian "Satay" Sticks

Tasty Tofu Indonesian "Satay" Sticks

Happy & Healthy Cooking,

Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills

• chop :

  to cut something into small, rough pieces using a blade.

• knife skills :

  Bear Claw (growl), Pinch, Plank, and Bridge (look out for trolls). 

• marinate :

  to soak food in a seasoned liquid to add flavor and tenderize it before cooking.

• sauté :

  to cook or brown food in a pan containing a small quantity of butter, oil, or other fat.

• toss :

  to lightly lift and drop food items together or coat food items with flour, or a sauce or dressing, as in a salad.

• whisk :

  to beat or stir ingredients vigorously with a fork or whisk to mix, blend, or incorporate air.

What is "Satay"?

• "Satay" is a Javanese dish comprising meat or tofu grilled on a skewer. A spicy peanut sauce or sweet soy sauce typically accompanies satay. The Javanese people are a major ethnic group in Indonesia from the island of Java.
• Javanese street vendors may have adapted the dish from the Middle Eastern kabob. 
• The types of foods used for satay include beef, chicken, fish, goat, hard-boiled eggs, lamb, mushrooms, pork, and tofu. Diced pieces of these foods are marinated, pierced on bamboo skewers, and grilled, pan-fried, or sautéed and served with a sauce. 
• Satay is a national dish of Indonesia. It has even been put on a postage stamp!

Let's Learn About Indonesia!

• The Republic of Indonesia is in Southeast Asia and Oceania. It consists of between 17,000 and 18,000 islands (surveys of the islands vary) and lies between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. 
• The five main islands are Sumatra (the largest), Java (the most populous), Kalimantan (Indonesian part of Borneo), Sulawesi, and the western part of New Guinea. Bali is a lesser island east of Java but a popular tourist destination.
• Java is also the world's most populous island, with about 149 million people. The capital of Indonesia, Jakarta, is in Java and is the country's largest city.
• The government is a unitary presidential republic with an executive branch (president and vice president), legislative (People's Consultative Assembly), and judicial (State, High, and Supreme Courts). The country's currency is the Indonesian rupiah.
• The population of Indonesia is about 280 million. The official language is Indonesian; however, over 700 languages are spoken there. Over 1,300 ethnic groups are recognized.
• Indonesia's total area is 735,358 square miles, covering three time zones. In comparison, the United States' largest state is Alaska, at 570,641 square miles. 
• Indonesia's archipelago (group of islands) is believed to have been populated 500,000 to 2,000,000 years ago. An early human fossil (Homo erectus) was discovered in 1891 on the island of Java and was called "Java Man." Paleoanthropologists estimate he lived between 700,000 and 1,490,000 years ago. 
• Many larger islands have rugged mountains between 6,000 and 12,000 feet tall. In Western New Guinea, Puncak Jaya is the highest peak at 16,024 feet. There are over 400 volcanoes, and 150 of them are active. 
• The Krakatoa volcano, between the islands of Java and Sumatra in the Sunda Strait, violently erupted in 1883, resulting in one of the most destructive volcanic eruptions in history. It destroyed two-thirds of the island of Krakatoa, causing a tsunami. Thousands of people died or were injured from the eruption and tsunami. 
• A new island has been created from eruptions occurring there since 1927. It is called "Anak Krakatau," which is Indonesian for "child of Krakatoa."
• In addition to volcanic activity, the islands are subject to threats from earthquakes, tsunamis, and typhoons (tropical cyclones) along Indian Ocean coastlines.  
• The country has many inland seas, such as bays and straits, and the largest lake, at 442 square miles, is Lake Toba in Sumatra. Along with the seas and mountains, rainforests and savannahs (grassy plains) make up the rest of Indonesia's geography.
• Indonesia lies along the equator, and the climate is primarily tropical, with some temperate areas. There are two seasons: dry and rainy.    
• Along with just 17 other countries, Indonesia is considered a megadiverse country, meaning it contains many endemic (only found there) plant and wildlife species. 
• The corpse flower, or titan arum, is native to the rainforests in Sumatra. It is the largest flowering plant in the world. It gets its name from the odor of rotting flesh when it blooms! Thankfully, the plant's unpredictable flowers bloom every two to three years or longer, and the blooms only last 24 to 48 hours! 
• The Sumatran tiger, the smallest species, is only found in Indonesia, on the island of Sumatra. Other animals endemic to Indonesia are the Komodo dragon (largest living lizard), Sumatran elephant, Javan rhinoceros, anoa (dwarf water buffalo), maleo (chicken-like bird), Javan slow loris (primate), babirusa (wild forest pig), and the Sumatran orangutan.
• Indonesians on the various islands have been making music unique to their cultures for over a thousand years, some before recorded history. The "angklung" is a Sundanese instrument of bamboo tubes carved to different pitches and shaken separately to create a melody. "Gamelan" music is a traditional ensemble of percussionists and singers who play cymbals, drums, flutes, gongs, stringed instruments, and xylophones. 
• There are over 3,000 original Indonesian dances, some of which originated in agricultural rituals for rain or harvest festivals and some in religious worship. 
• The Javanese "batik" method of dyeing cloth, which involves applying wax to some parts of the fabric to resist the dye, creates a unique and well-known design. UNESCO has recognized it as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity of Indonesia, and there are several batik museums in the country.
• Indonesia's cuisine varies by region and is influenced by indigenous and foreign foods. Rice is a staple and is included with servings of vegetables and meat, fish, or chicken. Spices and coconut milk are often included in dishes. 
• Among Indonesia's popular national dishes are "gado-gado" (salad of egg, veggies, and tofu with a spicy peanut sauce), "nasi goreng" (fried rice with meat and veggies), "satay" (skewered and grilled meat with peanut or sweet soy sauce), and "soto" (soup made of broth, meat, and veggies).  

What's It Like to Be a Kid in Indonesia?

• Family is important in Indonesia. Some households may include extended family, like grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. 
• Kids attend school from mid-July to December and then January to mid-June. Students may be required to wear uniforms to school. 
• Kids may participate in badminton, football (soccer), and basketball. Traditional games include "kereleng" or "gundu" (similar to marbles), "congklak" (board game made of holes using stones or seeds as game pieces), and "bentengan" (an outdoor game similar to "capture the flag"). 
• Since rice ("nasi") is eaten at most meals, kids will most likely eat a rice dish for breakfast, like fried rice ("nasi goreng"). For lunch, rice may be served with veggies and tempeh or tofu with peanut sauce. "Rendang," a dish of spiced meat (often beef) slow-cooked in coconut milk from West Sumatra, may be served for dinner with rice and veggies. 
• Tropical fruits, such as durian, mango, papaya, pineapple, and star fruit, are popular snacks, especially when sliced and sprinkled with spicy coconut sugar and spicy salt.
• A sweet Javanese rice cake called "klepon" (klip-on) is rolled in shredded coconut and is a popular treat. Kids may also like to eat "kue" (koo-ay) for a bite-sized dessert or snack. Kue includes various pastries, including cakes, cookies, pies, and scones.