Nonya pork satay

When the Straights Chinese arrived in Malaysia and Singapore, they brought their love of pork with them. The resulting cooking style, merging Chinese ingredients with Malay/Indian spices, is referred at as Nonya (or Nyonya) cuisine. The best place to taste Nonya food is undoubtedly Penang; you can also find it in Singapore and Malaka. See below for the full recipe.

Recipe

Soak bamboo skewers in water in advance, to avoid burning.

To make the marinade, mix:
- 1 tsp shrimp paste
- 1 tsp oil
- 3 tbsp peanut butter or macadamia butter
- 1/2 onion, finely diced or minced
- 1 to 2 tsp sambal olek or minced chillies
- 1 tbsp palm or brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp minced lemongrass
- 1/2 cup coconut milk

Cut 1 lb pork fillet or shoulder into chunks. Coat in the marinade and leave for 1 to 2 hours.

Thread the pork onto skewers and barbecue or grill for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender.

Serve with cucumber slices.

Serves 4-6
Preparation and cooking time: 15 minutes plus marinating time