Sate Kerang

Mussels Satay. Yay.
If every week your food shopping is around beef,chicken and fish (like minee), you might get bored of what you cook (like I do). So, remember there are a lot of other creatures in the sea that we can 'catch' from the fisheries! For example, mussels. At the last shopping I grabbed a bag of frozen mussels and thinking of satay. Hm.. I wish I could just buy Sate Kerang (Mussels/Cockles Satay) just like in my home country, but here, I have to cook it by myself.

Thinking about buy or cook our food. It is probably more practice and easier when I was in my home country where I could just buy any food I like. But living here makes me more experience in cooking and baking. I am forced to! Of course, because not much people selling Indonesian food here. Not much at all. Not to mention not so many various Halal food here. Sometimes there are times when we feel that we are forced to do something, and feel a bit down about it, but we finally know that it is good for us.

Back to topic. Ehm.

Usually my hubby won't let me buy mussels, because he said that this creature able to live even in polluted water. He doesn't want us to be contaminated by any poisonous pollution. However, I successfully persuade him by saying, "We're in New Zealand now, don't you think the sea is much cleaner?". He agreed right away :p

I got this recipe, and I don't do much change to it, except the type of clam(the original recipe used cockle) and the amount of chilli, because my toddler would eat too. My family enjoyed them, Alhamdulillah. My husband just requested me to make Sambal Kacang(peanuts sambal/sauce) next time I make it again. Noted! So, I probably going to make it again next week, and I will update this post with Sambal Kacang.
By the way, I know I'm still not good in photograph, especially for night shooting. It's also look too plain. Maybe I should prepare the photo scene first before cooking. Although sometimes it's hard to do it when all your family member trying to grab the food as fast as they can. Oh well, I'll try again next week, InsyaAllah.

Anyway, here is the recipe.

Sate Kerang (Mussels Satay)

Ingredients:
500 gr mussels
1 tbsp gula jawa (Javanese palm sugar)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sweet soya sauce
100 ml water
3 tbsp oil
2 cm galangal, smacked
2 cm ginger, thwack with knife's back(or anything you got)
2 stalk lemongrass, thwack!
4 indonesian bay leaves, or you can use any bay leaves
4 kaffir lime leaves, tear a bit
skewers

Spices, grind altogether:
4 cloves shallot
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp coriander
4 red chilies, I use only one for toddler friendly sake

Directions:
- Heat the wok or pan and pour the oil
- Stir ground spices, lemongrass, lime leaves, salam leaves and ginger until fragrant.
- Add gula jawa, soy sauce and salt, stir well.
- Add the mussles and pour the water, bring to boil until cooked.
- Thread the mussels to the skewer, grill
- Enjoy