Ingredients for 🌶️ Teddy’s Indonesian Sambal Goreng (Spicy Coconut Curried Vegetables w Tempeh)
- A) INGREDIENTS FOR SWEET FRIED TEMPEH (can also be eaten separately with salads as a protein topping)
- For 2 -3 servings
- □ 1 packet of tempeh (200g), cut into size of Lego bricks approx 1.25″x 0.5″
- □ ¼ tsp of turmeric powder
- □ ½ tsp of coriander powder
- □ ¾ tbsp of palm sugar or grated Gula Melaka
- □ 1 calamansi lime
- □ Salt
- □ Olive oil spray
- □ 2½ tbsp of virgin olive oil
- B) INGREDIENTS FOR SPICE PASTE OR ‘THE REMPAH’
- □ 3/4 cup of shallots, halved (about 8 -12 pcs)
- □ 4 -5 cloves of garlic, approx 2 tbsp
- □ One finger of turmeric, 1.25″ x 0.5” x 0.5”
- □ 2 tbsp of galangal or two slices 2” x 1”
- □ 2 stalks of lemongrass, the white part only, roughly chopped, approx. 3 tbsp
- □ 2 slices of ginger, 1.5″x 1″
- □ 1/4 tsp of limes zest
- □ 3 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
- C. INGREDIENTS TO COOK SAMBAL GORENG
- □ Rempah or Spice Paste (From B)
- □ 2½ cups of long beans, 1.5″ pieces, cut at an angle
- □ 150g or about 2 cups of white button mushroom, quartered
- □ 2 red chilies, sliced bias cut and deseeded with a teaspoon
- □ 1/3 cup of Sambal Tumis (from previous recipe)
- □ 1/2 cup of coconut milk + extra
- □ 1 cup tamarind juice made from loosening 1 tbsp of tamarind pulp in water and strained
- □ Juice of 2 calamansi limes, remove any seeds
- □ ½ tbsp of palm sugar or Gula Melaka + some extra to taste
- □ Pan-fried sweet tempeh (From A)
- □ 1/3 cup of baked unsalted cashews
- □ Salt
- □ Oil
Cooking Instructions for making 🌶️ Teddy’s Indonesian Sambal Goreng (Spicy Coconut Curried Vegetables w Tempeh)
A. FRY UP TEMPEH
1. Bring a non-stick pan to medium – medium high heat. Add a light coat of oil and fry tempeh cubes with a fine dusting of salt until slightly charred or when 80 -85% of white in tempeh is no longer visible (about 10 to 15 mins) Note: Spray in more oil when it gets too dry and use a pair of tongs or chopsticks to regularly turn tempeh over to ensure even charring.
2. Set timer to 12 mins and cover with coriander, turmeric and another fine dusting of salt. Fry for 3 to 4 mins turning tempeh over for even coating.
3. Now add palm sugar on top. Note: if using moist or sticky palm sugar, separate clumps with fingers first and sprinkle evenly over tempeh in pan.
4. Squeeze in juice of lime. Toss and stir rapidly to distribute and coat sugar evenly across tempeh blocks. Fry for another 3 to 5 mins until almost all of the white is gone and the sugar has caramelized into dark glittery caramelized spots. A crisp charred ‘standalone’ tempeh is ready to be eaten as a snack, kept in fridge as protein for salads or made into Sambal Goreng as with this recipe.
B. MAKE SPICE PASTE OR REMPAH
1. Blend all ingredients until a smooth paste. Add small amounts of water to ease the process. Reminder: Hardy root vegetables/ rhizomes like galangal should be cut into small pieces first before blending, so there are no long fibrous strands when eating.
C. COOK SAMBAL GORENG
1. Bring a wok to medium high heat and add 3.5 tbsp of oil.
2. Fry spice paste until fragrant and cooked through, 5 to 12 mins. Normally we wait for the oil to break and float, but here (because of the healthier use of less oil) it’s enough when the spice paste turns clumpy, dry, aromatic and just before it burns to proceed with the next step.
3. Drop in the long beans, mushrooms and sliced chilies, spray in a small amount of oil and stir-fry with a ½ tsp of salt for 2 to 5 mins until sliced chilies slightly soften.
4. Then add the Sambal Tumis, coat well and fry for 2 to 3 mins until fragrant.
5. Now add tamarind water, lime juice, coconut milk and palm sugar. Cook on medium heat for 6 to 7 mins to allow veggies time to soften and cook through.
6. Add fried tempeh back into the mix with cashews, stir and reduce to a bubbling simmer for 5 mins. Slowly add salt to taste.
7. Cook until almost all the liquid evaporates or when a thick creamy gravy emerges coating the veggies. Adjust for taste further with 1 tbsp of coconut milk each time or some palm sugar to sweeten.
8.(Optional) Garnish with sliced red chilies before serving.
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