Malaysian Sambal Tempeh with Coconut Rice and Crunchy Peanuts
Tempeh is the most underrated thing in the fridge aisle: nutty, firm and brilliant at going properly crisp. Here thin batons are fried until golden, then tossed through a sticky, sweet-sour Malaysian sambal of chilli, shallot and tamarind. Piled next to fragrant coconut rice with cool cucumber and salted peanuts, it is a vibrant, plant-based dinner on the table in 40 minutes.
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Nutrition (per serving)
Tempeh is the most underrated thing in the fridge aisle: nutty, firm and brilliant at going properly crisp. Here thin batons are fried until golden, then tossed through a sticky, sweet-sour Malaysian sambal of chilli, shallot and tamarind. Piled next to fragrant coconut rice with cool cucumber and salted peanuts, it is a vibrant, plant-based dinner on the table in 40 minutes.
This plate borrows from nasi lemak, Malaysia's much-loved breakfast of coconut rice and sambal. The secret to good sambal is patience: keep frying the chilli paste until the raw edge cooks out, it turns a deep brick red and the oil separates around the edges. That slow fry is what gives it its rich, jammy sweetness. Dusting the tempeh with turmeric before frying gives it a golden crust and takes away any bitterness.
Step-by-step instructions
Rinse the jasmine rice until the water runs clear. Tip it into a small pan with the coconut milk, 180 ml water, the sliced ginger and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer, cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 12 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes more.
While the rice cooks, cut the tempeh into thin batons about the size of a little finger. Toss them in a bowl with the turmeric and a good pinch of salt until evenly coated in yellow.
Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the tempeh in a single layer for 6 to 8 minutes, turning now and then, until deep golden and crisp on every side. Lift onto a plate, leaving the oil behind.
Blitz the shallots, garlic and red chillies to a rough paste. Spoon off all but 2 tbsp of oil from the wok, add the paste and fry over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until it darkens to a deep brick red and the oil splits out. Stir in the tamarind, brown sugar, soy sauce and 3 tbsp water and bubble for 1 minute until glossy and jammy.
Tip the crispy tempeh back into the wok and toss for 1 minute until every piece is lacquered in sambal. Fluff the coconut rice, spoon it onto plates and pile the sambal tempeh alongside with the cucumber slices, peanuts and lime wedges.
Want it even quicker? Swap the homemade paste for 3 tbsp of shop-bought sambal oelek and fry it for just 3 minutes with the sugar and tamarind. Traditional sambal often includes belacan (fermented shrimp paste); add 1 tsp with the chilli paste if you are not keeping this vegan. Leftover sambal keeps for a week in the fridge and is excellent on fried eggs.
Ingredients
- 150 g jasmine rice
- 120 ml coconut milk
- 3 thin slices fresh ginger
- 200 g tempeh
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 4 tbsp neutral oil
- 4 shallots, roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- 4 large red chillies, deseeded and roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 30 g roasted salted peanuts
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- Salt
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Step-by-Step
- 1
Rinse the jasmine rice until the water runs clear. Tip it into a small pan with the coconut milk, 180 ml water, the sliced ginger and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer, cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 12 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes more.
- 2
While the rice cooks, cut the tempeh into thin batons about the size of a little finger. Toss them in a bowl with the turmeric and a good pinch of salt until evenly coated in yellow.
- 3
Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the tempeh in a single layer for 6 to 8 minutes, turning now and then, until deep golden and crisp on every side. Lift onto a plate, leaving the oil behind.
- 4
Blitz the shallots, garlic and red chillies to a rough paste. Spoon off all but 2 tbsp of oil from the wok, add the paste and fry over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until it darkens to a deep brick red and the oil splits out. Stir in the tamarind, brown sugar, soy sauce and 3 tbsp water and bubble for 1 minute until glossy and jammy.
- 5
Tip the crispy tempeh back into the wok and toss for 1 minute until every piece is lacquered in sambal. Fluff the coconut rice, spoon it onto plates and pile the sambal tempeh alongside with the cucumber slices, peanuts and lime wedges.
Recipe
Malaysian Sambal Tempeh with Coconut Rice and Crunchy Peanuts
Ingredients
- 150 g jasmine rice
- 120 ml coconut milk
- 3 thin slices fresh ginger
- 200 g tempeh
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 4 tbsp neutral oil
- 4 shallots, roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- 4 large red chillies, deseeded and roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 30 g roasted salted peanuts
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- Salt
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the jasmine rice until the water runs clear. Tip it into a small pan with the coconut milk, 180 ml water, the sliced ginger and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer, cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 12 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes more.
- 2
While the rice cooks, cut the tempeh into thin batons about the size of a little finger. Toss them in a bowl with the turmeric and a good pinch of salt until evenly coated in yellow.
- 3
Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the tempeh in a single layer for 6 to 8 minutes, turning now and then, until deep golden and crisp on every side. Lift onto a plate, leaving the oil behind.
- 4
Blitz the shallots, garlic and red chillies to a rough paste. Spoon off all but 2 tbsp of oil from the wok, add the paste and fry over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until it darkens to a deep brick red and the oil splits out. Stir in the tamarind, brown sugar, soy sauce and 3 tbsp water and bubble for 1 minute until glossy and jammy.
- 5
Tip the crispy tempeh back into the wok and toss for 1 minute until every piece is lacquered in sambal. Fluff the coconut rice, spoon it onto plates and pile the sambal tempeh alongside with the cucumber slices, peanuts and lime wedges.
Nutrition Facts
* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.