For the sweet chili sauce
Place all ingredients except the rice flour and the water in the blender or food processor and blend. Bring to a boil in a saucepan, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 3 minutes until the sauce has slightly thickened. Combine the 2 tablespoons water with the rice flour and add to the sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil briefly, until it reaches the desired consistency.
Alternatively, you can also use a store-bought sweet chili sauce and/or white instead of brown sugar as is called for in the original recipe.
For the sweet potato skewers
Peel the sweet potatoes and then cut into uniform 2.5 cm cubes. Combine the cubes with oil, sugar, and a little salt and spread out on a deep baking sheet. Prebake at 180 °C (350 °F) for about 10–15 minutes. They should still be firm to the bite. Allow to cool briefly.
We reduced the amount of oil by half compared to the original amount listed.
Peel the onions and cut into wedges. Thread the onion onto skewers, alternating with the sweet potatoes. Heat the chili sauce (6 tbsp for 4 servings), sesame seeds, cinnamon, and orange juice in a large skillet. Place the skewers in the skillet and carefully coat them with sauce. Bake the skewers for an additional 5–8 minutes until they are nicely glazed and the onions are soft.
For the peanut sauce
Briefly toast the peanuts in a pan in a little oil. Place them in a food processor along with the remaining peanut oil and process, adding salt as needed.
This process may be easier if you double the ingredients. You can store the remainder in a container in the refrigerator for at least one week.
You can also use purchased peanut butter as called for in the original recipe, instead of making it as described in Step 4.
Briefly heat the orange juice and then combine with 4 heaping tbsp of the peanut butter prepared in Step 4 and the remaining ingredients. Stir until it reaches a creamy consistency.
We have listed chili instead of the sambal oelek specified by the author in order to use only pure, unprocessed ingredients You should add the water gradually, using only the amount necessary to reach the desired consistency.
For the cilantro rice
Rinse the rice with water in a sieve until the water runs almost clear. Add the rice and water to a saucepan, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil over low heat. Let the rice cook for an additional 15 minutes until all of the water is absorbed.
You may need to add more water and/or let the rice cook a little longer until it is tender.
While you are waiting for the rice to cook, use a mortar and pestle to crush the cilantro with oil and salt, working it into a nice green herb paste. You can also use a food processor.
Serving
Mix the herb paste into the cooked rice and serve with the sweet potato skewers and peanut sauce.
Detailed Nutritional Information per Person for this Recipe
The majority of the nutritional information comes from the USDA (US Department of Agriculture). This means that the information for natural products is often incomplete or only given within broader categories, whereas in most cases products made from these have more complete information displayed.
If we take flaxseed, for example, the important essential amino acid ALA (omega-3) is only included in an overarching category whereas for flaxseed oil ALA is listed specifically. In time, we will be able to change this, but it will require a lot of work. An “i” appears behind ingredients that have been adjusted and an explanation appears when you hover over this symbol.
For Erb Muesli, the original calculations resulted in 48 % of the daily requirement of ALA — but with the correction, we see that the muesli actually covers >100 % of the necessary recommendation for the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. Our goal is to eventually be able to compare the nutritional value of our recipes with those that are used in conventional western lifestyles.
The sweet and spicy peanut sauce pairs nicely with the sweet potato satay. Cilantro rice is the perfect accompaniment to this Asian delicacy.
Aromatic rice: Fluffy Indian basmati and the slightly sticky jasmine are varieties of aromatic rice. Both are long-grain rice and are known for their characteristic aroma which develops during cooking. While basmati rice is a fluffy long-grain rice, jasmine rice is slightly sticky, making it the perfect rice to eat using chopsticks. The jasmine rice that grows in the northern part of Thailand works especially well in this Asian dish. It is raised using a special method of cultivation and has a distinct flavor. The highest quality rice originating from Thailand is designated as golden, or AAA, while broken rice is lower in quality and price.
Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes are not actually potatoes. While they grow as underground tubers, they are not part of the nightshade family to which regular potatoes belong. Sweet potato leaves are edible and are used as a food source in their native tropics. They contain a high level of moisture and cannot be stored for long periods of time like regular potatoes. Careful handling, for example, avoiding bruises, can extend the storage life. You should carefully select the type of sweet potato you will be using since certain varieties still contain an appreciable amount of hydrogen cyanide.
A wide variety of savory and sweet dishes can be prepared using sweet potatoes. The potato-like tubers are available in different colors: yellow with red skin, orange-red with reddish brown skin, and white with light skin.
Ketjap manis: Ketjap manis is a dark, syrupy soy sauce sweetened with palm sugar that often contains star anise, cinnamon, black pepper, coriander, and cloves. With its mild and pleasantly sweet flavor, it is the most commonly used soy sauce in Indonesian cooking. It is an ingredient in many typical Indonesian recipes, including Nasi Goreng and Mie Goreng, and is used to marinate a variety of dishes including satay. You will find sweet soy sauce in Asian grocery stores and well-stocked supermarkets.
Tamarind: Tamarind contains 60% carbohydrates and has an antibacterial effect. Tamarind, which probably originated in Africa, can be divided into two groups according to flavor: sweet tamarind has light brown fruit with a fruity-sweet flavor while sour tamarind has dark fruit and a higher amount of tartaric acid, which is partially responsible for the sour flavor.
Tips
Side dish: A good side dish with this is “a nice cucumber salad with a little lime and fresh chili.” (Josita Hartanto)
Alternate preparation
Purchased or homemade: The author used store-bought peanut butter, sweet chili sauce, and sambal oelek. You can either do that or, like we did, use fresh or dried chili instead of the sambal oelek and make your own peanut butter and sweet chili sauce (see recipe). You will avoid any potential additives by doing so. If you use these sauces frequently, it would be worth your while to make them in larger quantities and store in the refrigerator.
Cilantro: There is a wide range of opinions regarding the flavor of cilantro. Some people react to its intensive, slightly soapy aroma with symptoms ranging from aversion to nausea. According to Swiss statistics, 15% of the allergic population reacts to cilantro. If you prefer, it is fine to simply omit this ingredient. You should realize, however, that it is the cilantro that gives this dish its exotic taste. There is no alternative that has a similar flavor. Flat-leaf parsley may look like cilantro, but it has a completely different flavor.
Steamed rice: Steaming the rice allows the flavor to fully develop. When using this method, the rice is steamed over boiling water, which allows it to absorb the liquid it needs to fully cook. For this, you will need a rice steamer basket that holds the rice above the boiling water. A rice cooker also works well. We recommend that you soak the rice in water for about 4 hours before beginning the steaming process. Even if the rice is soaked, it will still need to cook for 30–40 minutes. This should be factored in to your preparation time.
Reducing sugar and salt: We purposely reduced the amount of sugar and salt, and used brown sugar instead of white refined sugar. For additional information about the topic of nutrition and sugar, please see the book review of Salt Sugar Fat.
Ketjap manis: If you do not have ketjap manis (sweet soy sauce), you can replace it with regular soy sauce and add brown sugar and a small amount of molasses. However, it will not have the same syrupy consistency as the original.
Tamarind paste: If you do not have fresh tamarind you can use tamarind paste, preferably purchased from an Asian grocery store. It should be made from dried tamarind and not have any additives. You will need to remove the seeds from it (discard them) by using a little water, and then you will be able to use the smooth paste.
