Tempe Penyet (Smashed Tempeh With Sambal)

By Lara Lee

Updated July 22, 2021

Tempe Penyet (Smashed Tempeh With Sambal)
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(570)
Comments
Read comments

Tempe penyet is a famous street food in Indonesia, especially common on the island of Java, where tempeh originated. “Penyet” means “to smash” or “to flatten” in Indonesian, and the technique ensures that every crack and crevice of this fried tempeh is penetrated by the sambal it is smashed upon. This version pan-fries the tempeh for ease, rather than deep-frying it, as is traditional. (If you prefer deep-frying, fry for 5 to 6 minutes in 350-degree oil until golden.) Caramelize the shallot, tomato and chile sambal until it browns and slightly chars, adding wonderful flavor and chewy-crispy bits. A drizzle of kecap manis, an Indonesian sweet soy sauce infused with spices, balances the dish with a savory-sweetness.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Tempeh

    • 4garlic cloves, peeled and minced
    • 2teaspoons ground coriander
    • 1¼teaspoons fine sea salt
    • 16ounces/455 grams tempeh, cut into ¼-inch-by-2½-inch slices
    • ¼cup canola oil, plus more as needed

    For the Sambal

    • ¼cup canola oil
    • 4medium tomatoes, halved and thinly sliced
    • 7medium shallots, peeled and sliced
    • 10long, red, medium-spicy chiles (such as serrano, red finger or cayenne), deseeded and sliced
    • 7garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
    • ¼teaspoon fine sea salt

    For Serving

    • 1tablespoon fresh lime juice (preferably from makrut lime, calamansi or Key lime), plus lime wedges for serving
    • 1 to 2tablespoons kecap manis (see Tip)
    • Steamed jasmine rice
    • ½medium English cucumber, thinly sliced
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

627 calories; 41 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 21 grams monounsaturated fat; 12 grams polyunsaturated fat; 48 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 18 grams sugars; 28 grams protein; 1238 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Marinate the tempeh: In a large bowl or resealable freezer bag, combine the garlic, coriander and 1 teaspoon salt with ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons water. Add the tempeh and massage the marinade into all the pieces. Set aside while you make the sambal.

  2. Step 2

    Prepare the sambal: Heat ¼ cup oil in a large skillet over high. Once the oil is shimmering, add the tomatoes, shallots, chiles and garlic. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring the ingredients every so often. When the shallots begin to brown slightly after 10 to 15 minutes, reduce the heat to medium as the sambal continues to caramelize. Cook the sambal, stirring often, until it has caramelized and reduced and the tomatoes have softened, with a few crispy, browned bits, around 5 minutes. The sambal should not be burned, however, so regulate the heat as needed. Remove from the heat and season with ¼ teaspoon salt. (This makes about 1½ cups, and will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.)

  3. Step 3

    While the sambal cooks, pan-fry the tempeh: Carefully remove the tempeh from the marinade and set it in a colander to drain excess liquid. Heat ¼ cup oil in a large nonstick skillet over high. When the oil is shimmering, but not smoking, add the tempeh to the pan in a single layer using tongs. Be careful, as the oil will spit because of the water in the marinade. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden and crispy all over. You may need to fry in batches, adding extra oil as needed. Transfer the tempeh to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain; season with ¼ teaspoon salt.

  4. Step 4

    To serve, transfer the sambal to serving plates. Lay the tempeh on top of the sambal. Using a pestle, rolling pin or wooden spoon, gently flatten each piece of tempeh, massaging it into the sambal. The idea is to gently create small cracks and crevices where the tempeh meets the sambal so they can combine, rather than completely destroying the tempeh. Squeeze lime juice over the tempeh pieces, then drizzle kecap manis on top. Serve with steamed white rice, slices of cucumber and extra wedges of lime.

Tip
  • If you can’t find kecap manis, you can make a substitute by mixing equal parts dark soy sauce with palm sugar (or brown sugar). Gently warm on a low heat to dissolve the sugar, about 1 minute, then transfer to a jar or bowl. It will last in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.

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570 user ratings
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Comments

Bambang

Every tempeh dish is better if you start with great tempeh! Commercially produced American tempeh is usually much denser and more bitter than Indonesian tempeh. Either simmering American tempeh in boiling water for 10 min or brining it in very salty water for the same amount of time helps the tempeh fluff up and reduces the bitterness. There are small batch tempeh like Barry’s (in NYC) that better match the Indonesian stuff.

Kjerstin

I've found that steaming the tempeh slices prior to marinating them helps the marinade to absorb better.

James Mason

Seriously? “3/4 cup plus two tablespoons of water”? Next time try “about a cup of water” and save some ink.

Carolyn McMurray

Does anybody have ideas about redyci g the sodium content of this dish? There are bottled sambals on the labels of which the sodium content is low, and tempeh doesn’t seem to have much

Michael

For those looking closely at the cucumber, the decorative ridges are easily made by running a fork down the length of the cucumber before slicing. If I've got left over pickle juice, I marinate the slices in that for at least an hour.

JKL

This is a huge amount of sodium, more than many are supposed to eat in a day. Is there a way to cut it in half? Does the marinade really need that much? Any ideas?

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