Tempe Mendoan

Ingredients

• 300 g tempeh
• 100 g rice flour
• 40 g plain flour
• 250 ml cold water
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 candlenuts
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp white pepper
• 4 spring onions
• 500 ml vegetable oil, for frying
• 4 tbsp kecap manis
• 4 bird's eye chillies
• 1 shallot
• 1 lime

Before you cook

• Slice the tempeh into wide thin sheets no more than 5 mm thick.
• Peel the garlic and the shallot.
• Slice the spring onions into thin rings.
• Slice the bird's eye chillies and the shallot very finely.

Steps

1. Pound the garlic, candlenuts, coriander, salt and white pepper into a smooth paste in a mortar.
2. Whisk the rice flour, plain flour and the paste together in a bowl.
3. Pour in the cold water gradually, whisking, until the batter is smooth and roughly the thickness of single cream.
4. Stir the sliced spring onions through the batter.
5. Heat the frying oil in a wide pan until it reaches 180C and shimmers.
6. Dip a sheet of tempeh into the batter and let the excess run off for a second.
7. Lower it into the hot oil and fry for 60 to 90 seconds, turning once.
8. Lift it out as soon as the coating is set and pale gold but still soft, not crisp, and drain it on a rack.
9. Fry the rest of the tempeh the same way, two or three pieces at a time so the oil stays hot.
10. Stir the kecap manis, sliced chillies and sliced shallot together in a small bowl.
11. Squeeze the lime into the sauce and stir once.
12. Pile the mendoan onto a platter and serve immediately with the sauce for dipping.