Tempeh orek

Tempeh orek with rice and stir-fried cabbage and onion, in my apartment in Amsterdam, 2022.

Tempeh orek with rice and stir-fried cabbage and onion, in my apartment in Amsterdam, 2022.

I have to admit that I did not enjoy eating tempeh for a very long time. Only recently did I start appreciating it after eating some Indonesian and Caribbean dishes. According to Noemi, it is important to heavily involve your tempeh in a sweet marinade. So that is what I did. (Wikipedia, YouTube)

Fry your tempeh twice. In the first round, we are looking to properly crisp it up (I cut mine into small strips). Right before serving, put the fried tempeh back in the pan with some oil, spicy chili peppers, and kecap manis (sweet soy sauce). Leave to boil down slightly, and serve.

Of course I combined it with some rice, but I also quickly stir-fried some white cabbage and onions with garlic and soy sauce.

For future occasions, I should definitely crisp up my tempeh even more.