Tag: sweet and spicy

Once in a while, Jeff and I do a no-meat dinner at home. Meatless menu isn’t really anything new to Indonesians. Many depend on either plant-based like tempeh or on a variety of seafood anyway as their sources of protein.

I think I’ve mentioned in my other recipe that tempeh is one of staple food in Indonesia. This soy-based patty shows up a lot at Indonesians’ dinning tables along with its partner: the fried white tofu (sadly, I can’t seem to find the same kind of tofu here in the US). Usually, tempeh is sliced, seasoned with a little bit of salt, fried until its light golden, and served with chillies, some vegetables, and rice. I also like it cooked with chillies. We call it sambal tempeh and it’s got both spiciness and sweetness to it. Yum!

Here’s my version. I like to serve this dish with my spinach and corn vegetable soup, crispy baked tilapia , and rice.

• 2 tempeh patties (usually sold at the grocery’s organic section)
• 1 bag of frozen peas and carrots (small bag)
• 2 tablespoon of minced garlic
• 6 hot finger peppers (chopped)
• 4 Thai peppers (chopped)
• 3 tablespoon of low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon of sweet soy sauce (substitute: mix two tablespoon of soy sauce and one tablespoon of honey)
• ½ onion (chopped)
• Black pepper powder to taste
• 2 tablespoon of canola or vegetable oil

Steps:

• With clean hands, break the tempeh patties into smaller parts.
• Heat up the oil in a pan (medium heat)
• Add the garlic and onion into the pan and let them sizzle for a minute until they turn yellow.
• Add the tempeh and mix it up with the garlic and onions. Let it cook for a while until it turns light brown.
• Add the peas, carrots, chopped peppers, both soy sauces, and black pepper.
• Stir and mix it all up.
• Cover with a lid and let them cook for another 10 minutes.
• Serve with rice

Serve 4-6 people