Tahu And Tempe Bacem Recipe
Tahu and tempe bacem are another way to enjoy tofu and tempeh deliciously. And they have a delicate flavour of fragrant herbs with the sweetness of palm sugar.
Servings: 16 pieces
Equipment
- Mixing bowls.
- Cooking pan
- Wooden spoon
- Frying pan
Ingredients
- 8 ounces tempeh
- 8 ounces pack of extra firm tofu (see the note).
- 1 inch galangal peel and bruise.
- 3-4 salam leaves see the note.
- 3.53 ounces palm sugar/ jaggery slice finely (see the note).
- ½ cup sweet soy sauce.
- 1 teaspoon salt or according to taste.
- Water.
- Cooking oil to fry.
Spice paste:
- 10 shallots.
- 7 cloves garlic.
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds.
- 3 tablespoons tamarind paste see the note.
Instructions
- Cut the tofu into 8 pieces and slice tempeh thickly into 8 pieces.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan and lightly deep-fry the tofu and tempeh. Take care not to let them be too dry or crispy. We just want them to slightly firm up so that they won’t break in marinate. Set aside.
- Grind all the spice paste ingredients using a pestle and mortar or a food processor until you get a smooth paste.
- Place the spice paste in a cooking pan and pour in 2 cups of water. Then add in the galangal, salaam leaves, palm sugar, sweet soy sauce and salt. Give it a good stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Next, place the tofu and tempeh pieces in the spice paste mixture. Make sure the liquid covers the tofu and tempeh. If needed, add more water.
- Turn the heat on at a moderate-high. Once the spice mixture reaches boiling point, you can turn it to low heat and cook further with the pan lid on. Carefully turn the tempeh and tofu as the spiced water reduces.
- Continue cooking at low heat with the pan lid on until all liquid evaporates.
- Your tahu and tempe bacem are readily cooked now. You can serve them right away. But they taste even better if you deep fry them just before serving. And you don't have to deep-fry them for too long. About 2-3 minutes on each side is more than enough. Unless, of course, you want a crispy bacem.
Notes
- You can use the extra firm white tofu as it is. I like my yellow tofu because they’re more flavoursome. You can make the yellow tofu from scratch or just make the yellow tofu using the shop-bought tofu. I have them both covered in this post on how to make tofu.
- Salam leaves, which are called Indonesian bay leaves, are actually a different family from ordinary bay leaves. If you find it difficult to get salam leaves, I’d suggest just skip them. I don’t recommend substituting with ordinary bay leaves because their fragrance is totally different. They are more suitable for Mediterranean cooking, not Asian cooking.
- If you can’t get hold of palm sugar/ jaggery, you can substitute it with dark soft brown sugar or dark muscovado sugar.
- Tamarind paste can be pricey and difficult to find, so you can just use a tamarind block. Cut some tamarind (about 2 inches square), and cover it with hot boiling water. Leave it to soften, and discard the tamarind seeds before using the juice.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 331mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g
Disclaimer
Nutritional info in this recipe is only estimate using online calculator. You should refer to it as a guide only. Please verify with your own data if you seek an accurate info.