🌶️ Tempeh orek
Tempeh orek is a Javanese side dish of thin tempeh strips fried until crisp, then stir-fried with shallot, garlic and chili and glazed in sweet soy sauce (kecap manis). The result is crunchy, sticky, sweet and spicy all at once. It keeps well and is served in small portions with steamed rice as part of an everyday Indonesian meal.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 300 g tempeh, cut into thin matchsticks
- 4 shallots, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2–3 red chilies, sliced
- 3 tbsp kecap manis
- 3 tbsp oil
- Salt, a splash of water
Method
- Fry the tempeh strips in the oil until golden and crisp, then drain.
- In 1 tbsp of the oil, fry the shallot, garlic and chili until fragrant.
- Add the kecap manis, a splash of water and salt and let it bubble.
- Return the tempeh and toss until glazed and sticky.
How to make it lighter
- Bake or air-fry the tempeh instead of frying to use far less oil.
- Use less kecap manis — it is mostly sugar.
- Serve as a side with plenty of vegetables rather than as a main.
History
Tempeh is a fermented soybean cake that originated in Java, and orek tempe is one of the most common ways it is cooked in Indonesian homes. It is a staple of home cooking, warung food stalls and packed lunches.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →