AI-generated image
Tempe orek
Sweet crisp tempeh
Matchsticks of crisp tempeh tossed in a sticky, sweet-hot glaze of kecap manis, garlic and chilli
Across Java, tempe orek is the side dish every household keeps in a tub: crisp sticks of tempeh fried and then tossed in a sweet-salty glaze of kecap manis, palm sugar, garlic and chilli. It goes into lunch boxes with plain rice, onto nasi campur plates, and lasts several days without losing its chew, which is why student boarding houses and office canteens rely on it. Some cooks add peanuts or green beans; this version stays classic. Chef's tip: fry the tempeh sticks properly crisp before glazing and keep the glaze to a thick syrup, so the tempeh stays crunchy rather than going soft.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz tempehcut in matchsticks 4 cm long
- ¾ cup vegetable oilfor shallow frying
- 4 shallotsthinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlicthinly sliced
- 2 red chilliessliced at an angle
- 3 red bird's eye chillies (optional)sliced, optional for heat
- ¾ in galangalbruised; or 1 cm ginger
- 2 Indonesian bay leaves (daun salam) (optional)or 1 bay leaf
- 1 oz palm sugargrated; or soft brown sugar
- 1 tsp tamarind paste
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp water
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat ¾ cup vegetable oil in a wok over a medium-high heat. Fry 10 ½ oz tempeh in two batches for 4–5 minutes each, stirring now and then, until deep golden and crisp, and it sounds hollow when stirred. Drain on kitchen paper.
10 minStep 2: Pour off all but 2 tbsp oil. Over a medium heat, fry 4 shallots, 3 cloves garlic, 2 red chillies and 3 red bird's eye chillies for 2–3 minutes until the shallots are soft and golden at the edges. Add ¾ in galangal and 2 Indonesian bay leaves (daun salam) and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
3 minStep 3: Add 1 oz palm sugar, 3 tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), 1 tsp tamarind paste, ½ tsp salt and 3 tbsp water. Let it bubble for about 1 minute until it thickens to a sticky syrup that coats the spoon.
1 minStep 4: Tip the tempeh back in and toss over a low heat for 1–2 minutes until every stick is glazed and the pan is almost dry. Too much liquid left is the usual mistake; the tempeh then softens overnight.
2 minStep 5: Pick out the galangal and bay leaves, if you like. Serve warm or at room temperature with rice. It keeps for 4 days in a sealed tub in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tempe orek take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Sayur lodehVegetables in coconut milk
Sayur lodeh is everyday cooking in Central Java, made in big pots in Solo and Semarang kitchens and ladled over rice, with lontong rice cakes at Lebaran, or alongside opor and sambal goreng on festive tables. It's soupy rather than thick: a fragrant broth of coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass and lime leaf that carries chunks of aubergine, long beans, chayote and sweetcorn, plus tempeh and tofu to make it a meal. The flavour is mellow and slightly sweet, so the heat comes from sambal on the side. Chef's tip: keep the pot at a gentle simmer once the coconut milk goes in and stir now and then — a rolling boil splits the coconut milk into oily curds.
Tofu & tempeh satay with peanut sauce
Satay smoke drifts along Javanese streets every evening, where sellers fan charcoal grills set up on the pavement and serve skewers with peanut sauce, rice cakes and sliced shallot. Tofu and tempeh are naturals for it: they drink up a sweet-savoury marinade of palm sugar, tamari, coriander and garlic and pick up dark, sticky char at the edges. The sauce here is cooked until smooth and glossy, sweeter and milder than the grainy dressing on gado-gado, made for dipping. Chef's tip: soak the bamboo skewers for 30 minutes and brush the satay with marinade as it grills — the sugar caramelises into the dark, slightly burnt edges that make satay taste like satay.
Sambal oelekFresh chilli paste
Every Indonesian kitchen has an ulekan, the flat stone mortar that gives sambal oelek its name, and this is the most basic thing ground in it: fresh red chillies and salt, pounded to a coarse, wet, fiery mash. It's the foundation many cooks start from, stirred into fried rice and soups, spooned beside every meal at warung tables nationwide, and the base for more complex cooked sambals. Making it fresh tastes brighter and fruitier than any jar. Chef's tip: wear gloves and pound rather than blitz if you can — crushing releases the oils and gives a juicier, more fragrant sambal than chopping blades.
