Air Fryer Tofu Satay

Sate is one of the great street foods of the world, and in Indonesia it's everywhere — skewered morsels marinated in turmeric and aromatics, fanned over glowing charcoal, and slicked with sambal kacang, a peanut sauce that's equal parts rich, sweet, and fiery. It's sold from carts trailing fragrant smoke down city streets and is woven so deeply into the culture that regional versions number in the dozens. The classic is meat, threaded thin so it cooks fast over fire. This is a tofu interpretation, and it's upfront about being one — but it borrows the things that actually make sate sing: the yellow turmeric marinade and that indispensable peanut sauce.

Be clear-eyed about what changes. Sate is defined by live fire — the char, the drips of fat hitting coals, the smoke that perfumes the meat — and an air fryer trades all of that for convenience and crisp edges without a grill or a fan of charcoal. What you gain is a fast, even cook with no flare-ups, and tofu that comes out firm and golden rather than soggy. Press the tofu hard first; the drier it goes in, the crisper it comes out, because there's no rendered fat here to do the work. Two allergens to name plainly: the tofu is soy and the sauce is built on peanuts, so this is one to keep well away from a peanut-allergic table.

Use the air fryer we use for tofu and skewers, and press the tofu well so the edges crisp instead of steam.