Rendang Tempe

Name: Rendang Tempe
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 1 red shallot, chopped; 1 clove garlic, chopped; 5 small red chillies, chopped; ½ teaspoon finely chopped turmeric (or ¼ tsp ground); ½ teaspoon finely chopped galangal; 410ml pure coconut milk; 2 bay leaves, bruised; ½ stalk lemongrass, bruised; Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste; 1 teaspoon salt flakes, or more to taste; 250g tempeh, cut into large bite-sized pieces; 250g tempeh, cut into large bite-sized pieces Steamed jasmine rice, for serving

Rendang was traditionally a way of preserving the meat of water buffalos by long slow cooking in coconut oil, like a confit. Indonesian food expert Sri Owen writes about her mother bulking out beef rendang with potatoes and red kidney beans during the Japanese occupation of Java when meat was in scarce supply. She also mentions making a rendang-style squid dish in Venice, just cooking it for a shorter time so that it remains saucy. Tempeh (tempe in Indonesian) is a traditional Indonesian product made from whole cooked soybeans that have been fermented and moulded into blocks. Unlike its more neutral cousin tofu, tempeh has a pronounced savoury, slightly nutty flavour due to the fermentation. Also, unlike tofu, it stands up to long cooking very well, making it a great alternative to beef in this vegan-friendly rendang tempe. If you prefer a saucier rendang, reduce cooking time and serve it before the tempeh has absorbed all of the coconut milk. Indonesian pickled vegetables, acar, make a great accompaniment to rendang tempe (see video below).

Serves 2–4

Ingredients

1 red shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
5 small red chillies, chopped
½ teaspoon finely chopped turmeric (or ¼ tsp ground)
½ teaspoon finely chopped galangal
410ml coconut milk
2 bay leaves, bruised
½ stalk lemongrass, bruised
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
1 teaspoon salt flakes, or more to taste
250g tempeh, cut into large bite-sized pieces
Steamed jasmine rice, for serving
Acar, for serving (optional)

Method

Place shallot, garlic, chilli, turmeric, galangal and 2 tablespoons of the coconut milk in the bowl of a food processor and blitz as finely as possible.
In a wok or saucepan small enough that the tempeh will be covered by the coconut milk, place the shallot paste, remaining coconut milk, bay leaves, lemongrass, nutmeg and salt. Stir to combine well then stir in tempeh.
Bring to the boil. Reduce heat until it’s gently bubbling and cook for about 1½–2 hours, until coconut milk is quite thick and oil has started to separate; stir occasionally and adjust the temperature if necessary so it remains just gently bubbling.
Continue cooking for a further 30 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until the coconut milk has reduced and the tempeh is starting to fry in the oil rather than poach in the milk.
Continue cooking for as long as you like, up to another hour, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan, until your rendang tempe is as dry and dark as you prefer.
Discard lemongrass; taste and add more salt if needed.
Serve with steamed rice and Acar if you like.