Dinner Idea: Stir-fried Tom Yam Tempeh

 

Dinner idea: stir-fried tom yam tempeh, purple cabbage, and Japanese rice with furikake and cherry tomato - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

Inspired by a "kampong" Indonesian dish; this dish has many named but what I know is "kering tempe"; "kering" means dried and "tempe" means tempeh. In this article, I made a twist in different tastes by using ingredients that might you know, "tom yam" taste. When you hear "tom yam" that's from Thailand. If you are new to my article I will tell you that I cook in my style, my ways, and it has a possibility influenced by other recipes from different countries. 

I remember that the first time I cooked "kering tempe" when I was 13. At 11 I started to work after school and cooked easy dishes such as fried tempeh, omelet, soup, etc. For me "kering tempe" was new and I had to embrace the fact that no one guides me or teaches me. At the time I was preparing my school exams. Before came home from school, I stopped by at the market and bought groceries. At home, I often cooked it for lunch and dinner. My father was in the morning shift work, so I had to do the cooking and house care. Even though the first time cooked this dish but my father liked it. So yeah, it is bittersweet memories for me because I was tired yet still had to study for my school exams. I wanted to cry but I couldn't. In another hand, the sweet line for what I had been through is my life today. That's why it ties strongly in my head. There are so many memories and stories behind this dish.

Secondly, when I was studying at a university for my Bachelor's degree. In my spare time after my class finished, I stopped by at a small stall that sold foods. I often helped the owner cooking. When I say "help" it means help that I did it without earning money. You guess... yes it often for me helped cooking "kering tempe". I believe you have already known, I also ate this dish very often at the time. I still remember that one of my friends said, "every day you buy lunch and dinner at the same stall, why? You are not bored?" I said, "No". For me, that stall was cheapest than any other stall yet the owner offers fresh food which made from fresh ingredients. The most important thing is there is no MSG in her foods. 

Can we talk about the stir-fried tom yam recipe now? Alright, alright, sorry for the stories but I think it is a part of how this dish comes out in my life. Let's check it out:

Ingredient:

• 500 g tempeh - cut the tempeh in a small pieces
• 100 g dried tofu - cut the tofu in a small pieces
• 4 medium potatoes - cut potatoes in a small pieces
• About 400 ml of canola oil
• 1 stalk of lemongrass - cut it
• 4-5 kafir lime leaves
• 1/2 of lime - squeeze it and take out the juice
• 1 tbsp of tamarind - mix it with 50 ml of water
• About 20 ml of soy sauce
• About 20 ml of oyster sauce
• 200 ml of water
• 15 g of garlic powder
• 15 g of onion powder
• 4-5 cloves of garlic - cut finely or chop it
• 8 cloves of shallot - cut finely or chop it
• 2 tbsp of butter

These are what you do:

• Prepare the pan, pour canola oil. Turn on the stove on medium-low flame, then fry the potatoes until cooked. Take out and place on kitchen paper

Frying potatoes first - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

• Fry tempeh until cooked, take out and place them on kitchen paper

Frying tempeh - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

• Fry fried tofu until cooked, take out and place them on kitchen paper

Frying fried tofu - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

• Prepare another pan, add butter, garlic, and shallot that you chop/ cut. Saute for about 3 minutes

Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

• Add fried tempeh, fried potatoes, and fried tofu. Pour soy sauce, oyster sauce. Mix them all together, pour 100 ml of water, and stir them well. Add lemongrass and kafir lime leaves. Stir again
• Add garlic powder, onion powder. Pour 100 ml of water, lime juice, and tamarind water, stir them for about 3-5 minutes. Turn off the stove

Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

Arrange dinner:

• Place Japanese rice, add furikake on top of it, and cherry tomato
• Give it purple cabbage
• That's it dinner is ready! Don't forget to eat fruit
• Substitute Japanese rice with boiled potato 👌

Dinner idea: stir-fried tom yam tempeh, purple cabbage, Japanese rice with furikake and cherry tomato, orange, and a glass of jasmine tea - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

Simple, easy, and tasty! On top of that, this is a special menu that reminds me of my old day. Thank you for reading my article, see you, take care, and bye! 😊🖐

Note:

• Written by Acik Mardhiyanti
• Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti
• Do not copy this article without permission
• Do not reuse these photographs anywhere else without permission