Tempeh Goreng

Ingredients

The tempeh

• 400 gtempeh
• soy tempeh, firm and white
• cut into slices 5 mm thick
• or into batons

The marinade

• 4 clovesgarlic
• 1 teaspoonground coriander
• 1 teaspoonsalt
• a thumb of fresh turmeric
• or half a teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2candlenuts, optional
• or 2 macadamia nuts
• 150 mlwater

For frying

• 500 mlvegetable oil
• or enough for shallow frying
• groundnut or sunflower oil

To serve

• sambal, any kind
• steamed rice
• fresh cucumber slices
• kecap manis, to drizzle
• fried shallots, to scatter

Directions

1. Discard it if it smells or feels like that. Thaw it fully and pat it dry before use. Cut it on a board with a sharp knife. Tempeh crumbles if the knife is blunt. Peel the garlic and the fresh turmeric. That stain is stubborn and takes days to fade. Pound the garlic, turmeric and coriander in a mortar. Add the salt, which helps break things down.
2. Add the candlenuts if you are using them. There is a note about candlenuts worth making. Pound everything into a rough paste. Add the water to loosen it into a thin marinade. It should be liquid enough to soak the slices.
3. Put the tempeh slices into a shallow dish. Pour the marinade over and turn them gently. Every surface should be coated with it.
4. Let it stand for at least thirty minutes. An hour gives noticeably better flavour. Simmer it for ten minutes and then drain it. Lift them out and let excess marinade drip off. Pat them with kitchen paper if they are very wet.
5. Fill it no more than one third full of oil. Oil bubbles up sharply when food goes in. Never leave hot oil unattended for a moment. Keep a well fitting lid within easy reach. If oil catches fire, turn off the heat first.
6. Heat the oil to about one hundred and seventy degrees. It should bubble steadily around the edges. Fry the slices in batches without crowding. Fry each batch for three to four minutes. Turn them halfway through with tongs. They should be deep golden and crisp outside. Lift them out with a slotted spoon.
7. Drain them on a rack over kitchen paper. A rack keeps them crisper than paper alone. Sprinkle a little salt over while still hot. Let the oil recover heat between batches. Serve tempeh goreng immediately while crisp. It softens noticeably within half an hour.

Technique

• Shop-bought soy tempeh is safe and this recipe uses it. The serious warning concerns tempe bongkrèk, a Central Javanese variant made from coconut press cake, which has caused many deaths. Burkholderia gladioli growing on that substrate produces bongkrekic acid, which is often fatal, is not destroyed by cooking, and leaves the tempeh looking and smelling completely normal. Indonesia restricts its production. Never attempt to make tempeh from coconut press cake.
• Grey and black patches on tempeh are the mould producing spores. They are harmless and taste slightly stronger. Ammonia smell and a slimy surface mean it has spoiled — discard it.
• Drain and pat the slices dry before they go into the oil. Wet marinade spits violently, and that is the main hazard here.
• Deep-frying rules apply: fill the pan no more than a third, never leave it unattended, keep a lid within reach, and if the oil catches fire turn off the heat and smother it. Never throw water on burning oil.
• Raw candlenuts are mildly toxic and cause stomach upset. They are always cooked in Indonesian use, and frying takes care of that here. Macadamias are the usual substitute.
• Fresh turmeric stains hands and chopping boards for days. Gloves and an immediate wipe-down save a lot of trouble.
• Tempeh is one dish among several in an Indonesian meal, not a main course. It has been cheap everyday protein in Java for centuries, long before it became a health food elsewhere.

Substitutions

• Ground turmeric replaces fresh; use about half a teaspoon in place of a thumb of root.
• Macadamia nuts replace candlenuts closely in both texture and richness. Blanched almonds are a distant third.
• The marinade can be reduced to garlic, coriander and salt alone, which is the plainest and most everyday version.
• Shallow frying in a centimetre of oil replaces deep frying and uses far less oil.
• An air fryer or a hot oven will crisp marinated tempeh reasonably well, though the texture is drier and it is not traditional.
• Any neutral high-smoke-point oil suits; groundnut and sunflower are both fine.

Variations

• Tempeh mendoan from Banyumas is dipped in a spiced batter and fried only briefly, so it stays soft and floppy rather than crisp.
• Tempeh orek, or kering tempe, cuts the tempeh into matchsticks, fries them hard and coats them in a sweet kecap manis and chilli glaze.
• Tempeh bacem is simmered in palm sugar, tamarind and spices before frying, giving a dark sweet-savoury result.
• Tempeh goreng tepung coats the slices in a rice-flour batter for a crunchier crust.
• Sambal goreng tempeh fries the tempeh and then stir-fries it into a chilli sambal.
• Some cooks fry the tempeh plain, with no marinade at all, and rely entirely on the sambal for seasoning.

History

Fried slices of the fermented soy cake, salted and eaten as a side or snack; tempeh has been Java’s cheap protein for centuries.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tempeh Goreng?

Tempeh Goreng is a snack from Indonesia: marinated fried fermented-soy slices, everyday protein. Fried slices of the fermented soy cake, salted and eaten as a side or snack; tempeh has been Java’s cheap protein for centuries.

How long does Tempeh Goreng take to make?

Tempeh Goreng takes 15 minutes plus 30 minutes marinating of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4 as a side. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Tempeh Goreng?

Yes, within limits. Ground turmeric replaces fresh; use about half a teaspoon in place of a thumb of root. Macadamia nuts replace candlenuts closely in both texture and richness. Blanched almonds are a distant third. The marinade can be reduced to garlic, coriander and salt alone, which is the plainest and most everyday version. Shallow frying in a centimetre of oil replaces deep frying and uses far less oil. An air fryer or a hot oven will crisp marinated tempeh reasonably well, though the texture is drier and it is not traditional. Any neutral high-smoke-point oil suits; groundnut and sunflower are both fine.

What is the most important thing to get right in Tempeh Goreng?

Fill it no more than one third full of oil. Oil bubbles up sharply when food goes in. Never leave hot oil unattended for a moment. Keep a well fitting lid within easy reach. If oil catches fire, turn off the heat first.