Perkedel Tempe: Indonesian Tempeh Fritters
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If you’re looking for a simple yet tasty Indonesian snack, Perkedel Tempe is hard to beat. Made from tempeh — a fermented soybean cake that’s been a staple in Indonesian kitchens for ages — these crispy fritters are the kind of food you’ll find yourself reaching for again and again.
Perkedel Tempe
Perkedel Tempe literally means tempeh fritters. It’s mashed tempeh mixed with spices, eggs, and flour, then deep-fried until crispy on the outside.
In Indonesia, there are so many types of perkedel, aka fritters. There are Perkedel Jagung (sweet corn fritters), Perkedel Kacang Hijau (mung bean fritters), Perkedel Kentang (potato fritters), Perkedel Oncom (Oncom fritters), Perkedel Tahu (Tofu fritters), etc.
And here, I’m sharing the one with Tempeh.
This Perkedel Tempe is one of the ways we enjoy tempeh. Because tempeh tastes quite bland, you have to cook it. And cooking tempeh can be tricky. The easiest way is to slice it, marinate it in salted water, and fry it. And this Tempe Goreng, or fried tempeh, is very popular in Indonesia.
But sometimes you want a bit of variety, don’t you?
So try these fritters. They’re pretty easy and straightforward to make. And they make a nice side dish among your Indonesian food spread. You can also enjoy the fritters as savory snacks. That’s what we often do in my household.
Why You’ll Love Tempeh Fritters
- Crispy on the outside with a soft, savory filling that hits the spot every single time.
- Made from tempeh, a protein-packed ingredient that keeps you full and satisfied longer.
- Seasoned with bold Indonesian spices that give every bite a warm, aromatic kick.
- Easy to eat as a snack, side dish, or even a quick on-the-go bite any time of day.
- Affordable and widely available across Indonesia, from street stalls to home kitchens.
- A great way to enjoy the rich flavors of Indonesian cuisine without a heavy meal.
- Whether you’re a longtime fan or trying it for the first time, one bite is never enough.
Items You Need for Perkedel Tempe
Apart from tempeh, you also need spring onions/scallions, garlic powder, ground coriander, ground black pepper, chilies, eggs, plain flour/all-purpose flour, and some cooking oil for frying.
You can get tempeh from Asian shops in Chinatown or from Amazon. Or, if you feel rather creative, you can try making it yourself.
As for chilies, you can omit them if you are not keen on them. Likewise, you can add more chilies if you prefer your fritters to be spicier. Unless you want to enjoy your Perkedel Tempe the way Indonesians do, have it with fresh whole chilies or chili sauce.
And if you don’t have fresh chilies, you can always substitute them with red chili powder or dried chili flakes.
How to Make Tempeh Fritters
If you have all the ingredients ready, you will only need 10 minutes to prep the fritter batter and about 20 minutes to fry. So your tempeh fritters can be ready in half an hour. It’s ideal for you to have a quick snack.
Firstly, you break and mash the tempeh. Then, you finely slice the spring onions/ scallions and chilies.
Add the spring onions, chilies, ground coriander, garlic powder, pepper, salt, flour, and eggs to the mashed tempeh. Mix them well and thoroughly.
Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan at moderately high heat. Once the oil is hot, carefully slide a tablespoon of the fritter batter into the oil, one at a time, leaving space between them.
Deep-fry the fritters until lightly golden.
Ways to Enjoy Tempeh Fritters
In Indonesia, Perkedel Tempe is a finger food that often appears as a side dish. It is often served on a menu with gravy or soup, such as Lamb Tongseng or Soto Ayam.
You can also serve the fritters as a side to Nasi Kuning (yellow rice in coconut milk), along with Ayam Penyet (smashed chicken in chili sambal) or Ayam Suwir Bumbu Bali (Balinese spicy shredded chicken). And if you’d like a vegetarian menu, you can also have your tempeh fritters with gado-gado.
And speaking of vegetarianism, why don’t you have this Perkedel Tempe in your buns? It makes lovely vegetarian burgers. Or you can have it in a tortilla wrap with lettuce and other veggies you like, drizzled with chili sauce and mayo. Yummy.
How to Store for Longer
If you plan to make the fritters in bulk, you can keep them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for about 3-4 days.
And if you freeze your Perkedel Tempe, you can keep them for 2-3 months.
When ready to eat them, you can pop the fritters in the oven for about 20-30 minutes at gas mark 4/180°C/350°F.
More Indonesian Food Recipes
Before you go, don’t forget to check out my other Indonesian food recipes that you may like.
- Sate Ayam: the Indonesian chicken satay.
- Indonesian Beef Rendang.
- Ayam Kecap Manis – Indonesian soy chicken.
- Nasi Uduk – Indonesian rice cooked in fragrant coconut milk.
- Mie Goreng – Indonesian stir-fried noodles.
- Pangsit Ayam – Indonesian chicken wontons.
- Ayam Goreng Bumbu – Indonesian spicy fried chicken.
Thank you for reading this post. I hope you’re now intrigued to try these Tempeh Fritters. If you do, can you share your thoughts in the comments below (leave a reply)? It will be awesome.
Please follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and/ or Pinterest to sneak a peek at what’s cooking in my kitchen.
Thank you and all the best.
Perkedel Tempe – Indonesian Tempeh Fritters
Equipment
- Slotted spoon
Ingredients
- 7.05 ounces gr/ 7.05 oz Tempeh.
- 2 scallions/ green onions/ spring onions.
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander.
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper.
- ½ teaspoon salt or according to taste.
- 2 bird’s eye chillies see the note.
- 2 eggs lightly beaten.
- ⅓ cup plain flour/ all-purpose flour.
- Cooking oil for deep-frying.
Instructions
- Break and mash the tempeh. Place it in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Finely chop the spring onions/ scallions and the chillies.
- Put the onions, garlic powder, black pepper, salt, chillies, flour and the beaten eggs in the mashed tempeh. Mix and stir well.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan. Drop a tablespoon of tempeh mixture in the oil at a time and leave space between the mixture.
- Fry the fritters at moderate-high heat and flip once. Continue frying until they’re lightly golden.
Notes
- You can omit the chillies if you don’t want your Perkedel Tempe to be spicy. And if you don’t have fresh chillies, you can substitute them with a teaspoon of dried chilli flakes or ½ teaspoon of red chilli powder. I often use red Kashmiri chilli powder.
Nutrition
Devy founded So Yummy Recipes and Drizzling Flavor to share her love of food after exploring various cultures and cuisines for more than two decades. Her mission is to help others easily recreate traditional and non-traditional food with readily available ingredients. Her works have been featured in Reader’s Digest, Al Jazeera, MSN, Yahoo, Bon Appétit, and more.
