Sambal Goreng Tempe is a popular Indonesian dish made from tempe (fermented soybeans) cooked in a spicy sambal (chili paste) sauce. It’s savoury, slightly sweet, and spicy — a perfect accompaniment to rice. Sambal goreng tempe is a favourite dish in Indonesian cuisine, enjoyed in various settings, from home meals to special occasions; whether it’s enjoyed as a side dish with rice, part of a larger Nasi Campur (Mix rice meal), as an accompaniment to Ayam Goreng (fried chicken), as a “Tumpeng” accompaniment, and many more ways to enjoy sambal goreng tempe.
In Indonesian cuisine, Sambal Goreng Tempe is a versatile dish, and different regions and home cooks have their own variations. The core concept involves tempe being stir-fried in a spicy sambal sauce, but the ingredients, flavours, and even the preparation method can vary widely. In this recipe, I used peanuts and green beans to get different flavours and textures in one bite. You would be amazed on how many types of sambal goreng tempe. Here are some popular ones:
1. Sambal Goreng Tempe (Classic Style)
- Key ingredients: Tempe, sambal, garlic, shallots, palm sugar, sweet soy sauce (kecap manis), and salt. It has a rich, slightly sweet, and savoury sambal with a medium heat level.
2. Sambal Goreng Tempe Kering (Dry Style)
- Key ingredients: Tempe, sambal made from ground red chilies, shallots, garlic, and often added dried shrimp paste (terasi). This has spicy and savoury, with a slightly dry and crunchy texture because the sambal reduces to a thick, flavourful coating around the tempe and the tempe cut thinner and fried dryer. This can be served as a side dish or snack, this version has a more intense flavour and a crispy texture, perfect to pair with rice or as part of a nasi campur (mixed rice).
3. Sambal Goreng Tempe with Coconut Milk (Sambal Goreng Tempe Pedas Santan)
- Key ingredients: Tempe, sambal (spicy chili paste), coconut milk, turmeric, and spices like lemongrass or kaffir lime leaves. This type of sambal goreng is rich, creamy, spicy, and slightly tangy from the coconut milk. The addition of coconut milk adds a luxurious texture and a mild sweetness. The creamy consistency makes it more like a stew, and it’s often enjoyed during festive or special meals.
4. Sambal Goreng Tempe with Tahu (Tempe and Tofu)
- Key ingredients: Tempe, tofu, sambal (made with fresh red chilies, garlic, and shallots), soy sauce, and sometimes lime leaves or lemongrass. A well-balanced dish with the spicy and savoury sambal complementing the crispy tofu and tempe. This combination offers a variety of textures.
5. Sambal Goreng Tempe with Shrimp Paste (Sambal Goreng Tempe Terasi)
- Key ingredients: Tempe, sambal made from fresh chilies, garlic, shallots, and terasi (fermented shrimp paste). Rich umami flavour from the shrimp paste combined with the heat of the sambal. The terasi gives the dish a deeper, more complex flavour. This version is quite common in traditional Indonesian meals, and it pairs especially well with rice and vegetables.
6. Sambal Goreng Tempe with Sweet Soy Sauce (Sambal Goreng Tempe Kecap Manis)
- Key ingredients: Tempe, sambal, kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), garlic, shallots, and sometimes chilies. This type of sambal goreng is sweet, savoury, and slightly spicy. The addition of kecap manis makes the dish sweet and sticky, giving it a caramelized finish. The sweetness of the soy sauce balances the heat of the sambal, making it a favourite in Java and Bali.
7. Sambal Goreng Tempe with Green Beans (Sambal Goreng Tempe Kacang Panjang)
- Key ingredients: Tempe, sambal, kacang panjang (long green beans), garlic, shallots, and chili. It is spicy and savoury with a crunch from the green beans. The beans add freshness and texture to the dish.
8. Sambal Goreng Tempe with Eggplant (Sambal Goreng Tempe Terong)
- Key ingredients: Tempe, sambal, terong (eggplant), garlic, chili, terasi and shallots. The eggplant adds softness and absorbs the flavours of the sambal sauce.
9. Sambal Goreng Tempe with Vegetables (Sambal Goreng Tempe Sayuran)
- Key ingredients: Tempe, sambal, assorted vegetables like water spinach (kangkung), cabbage, carrots, or beansprouts.
10. Sambal Goreng Tempe with Pineapple (Sambal Goreng Tempe Nanas)
- Key ingredients: Tempe, sambal, fresh pineapple, garlic, shallots, chili, and sometimes a touch of tamarind. This type has sweet, spicy, and tangy from the pineapple and tamarind. The fruit adds a refreshing contrast to the heat of the sambal.
- How it’s enjoyed: This variation is more unique and is often found in certain regions, where the tangy sweetness of pineapple is used to balance out the heat of the sambal. It’s great as a side dish to complement rice and grilled meats.
Sambal Goreng Tempe (Stir-fried Tempe in Sambal)
Servings: 4 People
Cost: €10
Equipment
- 1 Medium sized pan to fry
- 1 Large sized pan/wok to sautee
- 1 Small pot to boil the green beans
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Colander
- 1 Blender
Ingredients
- 400 gr Tempe Cut into small rectangle blocks approx. 1cm thickness
- 200 gr Peanuts fried until darker golden brown
- 200 gr Green beans
- 1 tbsp Bouillon powder
- 1 tsp MSG
- 1 tsp White pepper
- 2 tbsp Sweet soy sauce
- 1 tsp Sugar
Blended Ingredients
- 1 pcs Big red chili pepper If you like it spicy, you can use curly chili peppers and bird's eye chili
- 2 pcs Red chili pepper
- 3 pcs Shallots They are big, so if you use Indonesian shallots you need around 6-8 pcs
- 4-5 cloves Garlic
- 3 cm Terasi
- 4 pcs Candle nut toasted
- 100 gr Tomatoes
Aromatics
- 2 pcs Bay leaves
- 3 pcs Kaffir lime leaves
Instructions
- In a medium pan, heat up 500ml oil
- Cut tempe into small rectangle blocks approximately 1cm thickness and fry in the pre-heated oil in a medium-low heat until golden brown. Strain and place on a container with paper towels to absorb the oil.
- After frying the tempe, add in the raw peanuts in the in a medium-low heat until they are darker golden brown. Set aside together with the tempe.
- At the same time, in a small pot, bring water to a boil just enough for the green beans to swim. Blanch the green beans for about 5 minutes and rinse with cold water to keep the color beautiful green.
- In a blender, add in all the blended ingredients; Big red chili peppers (remove the seeds beforehand), red chili peppers, shallots, garlic, tomatoes, candlenut, and terasi. Blend until everything is smooth like smoothie.
- Pre-heat a large wok/pan, add 2tbsp of oil and pour in the blended ingredients. Add in the bay leaves and kaffir lime leaves, bouillon powder, white pepper powder, MSG, sugar, and sweet soy sauce. Stir until well combined and let it simmer over a medium-low heat.
- Once the sauce a little bit thicken and oily looking, add in the tempe, peanuts, and green beans. Stir until everything is well-incorporated and all the sauce absorbed in the tempe (about 5-7 minutes).
- Serve it with warm rice. Enjoy! 🙂
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