HOW TO PREPARE BALINESE SWEET SOUR TEMPE

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INDULGE IN THE BALINESE CUISINE

Balinese cooking is a plethora of cultural influences. Balinese dishes, cooking styles, and tools for preparing food have been cultivated from other cultures. The Chinese introduced stir-frying, the wok, and the use of soy sauce, Tempe, tofu, cabbage, and bean sprouts to Balinese cooking. The European Dutch colonials introduced pineapple, guava, peanuts, avocado, tomato, papaya, pumpkin, squash, and cacao. The Arabs influenced the popular “sate” with their own Kebab.

The authentic Balinese meals are spicy. In Ubud, the specialty is the duck, in Gianyar, the best suckling pig will be prepared, on the coast, near Kuta, the specialty is fish from the ocean. Real Balinese food is unavailable to tourists unless you get invited to a family dinner. In restaurants or hotels, you will never get real Balinese dishes, simply because authentic Balinese food requires too much preparation, has to be eaten while still fresh, and also because the Balinese use banana leaves as plates.

INGREDIENTS FOR SWEET SOUR TEMPE

1. Main Ingredients (portion for 2)

1 block of Tempe (cut in long cubes, about 1-2 cm) or you can use Tofu
300 ml vegetable oil for deep frying

2. Fried Seasoning

5 cloves of garlic cut into tiny slices
1 spring onion cut into tiny slices
2 pieces of long red chilies, thinly sliced
1 tbsp. palm sugar or brown sugar
1 piece of lemongrass (smashed)
2 pcs leaves / 1 bay leaves
2 pieces juice of a lime (squeezed)
2 tbsp. coconut oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper

HOW TO PREPARE IT

Cut all the ingredients (tempe and all the spices)
Heat the oil at a medium flame in as much as 300 ml., and then deep fry tempe for the next 8-10 minutes or until they turn golden browned (optional: add peanut/dried anchovies). Then strain until dry and set aside.
Heat at medium flame the coconut oil and then fry the garlic until it turns a slightly brown color, then add in the spring onion, chilies, salam leaves, lemongrass, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 30 seconds on low flame.
Add in the crumbled brown sugar until melted, then squish the lime juice and stir until well blended.
Add in the fried tempe in the mixture (at a low heat), stirring until tempe absorb the seasoning (about 30-50 seconds)

Congratulations, the Sweet Sour Tempe is ready to be served.

BONUS: STEAMED RICE PREPARATION

In Balinese tradition, rice is made every morning to be eaten throughout the day.

Preparation of 2 cups white rice

The Balinese people put the rice in a large, shallow basket, shaking it to toss the rice into the air to get rid of the husks. Then, they wash the rice in cold water and drain the water.

Water is brought to a boil in a large pot, and the rice is placed in a conical basket over the pot and covered with a terracotta lid. The rice is steamed for about half an hour.

They place the rice in a bowl with two cups of hot water and let it sit for 15-20 minutes to absorb the water. Afterward, the rice is replaced on the steamer and cooked for another half an hour to dry it out.

Do not add salt during the cooking of the rice. The Balinese usually serve aside a small bowl of salt, fried shallots, chopped chilies, and coconut oil.