Tempe Goreng
Marinated and fried tempeh with turmeric
The recipe
Tempe Goreng is the Indonesian fried tempeh — a slice of tempeh, marinated briefly in a turmeric-and-garlic brine, then deep-fried until golden and crispy on the outside, tender and nutty on the inside. It's the universal side dish of Indonesia, served alongside almost every meal. The marinade gives the tempeh a slightly savory, slightly tangy flavor and a beautiful yellow color. In Yogyakarta, *tempe mendoan* is the local version — tempeh dipped in a thin flour batter and quickly fried, leaving the inside still half-cooked. The most famous preparation is *tempe penyet* — smashed fried tempeh with sambal on top.
Ingredients
Method
💡 Tips from the kitchen
- ·Use fresh tempeh — the older it gets, the more bitter.
- ·The oil temperature is critical: too cool and the tempeh absorbs oil, too hot and it burns before the inside warms.
- ·Mendoan is best eaten within minutes of frying — that's the point.
The story
Did you know?
🇮🇩 Indonesia has 17,000+ islands — only 6,000 are inhabited.
Cook it yourself
Tempe Goreng is one of Indonesia's heritage dishes. Want to try the recipe at home?
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