Indonesian Cuisine
Salad Tempe Kremes Kecap & Sambal Matah (Crispy Tempeh Salad with Sweet Soy Sauce & Balinese Raw Chili Relish), Crispy, Spicy, and Fresh
Prep
20 min
Cook
15 min
Servings
3
Level
Medium
A unique salad combining crispy fried tempeh (kremes) that's savory and crunchy with fresh, spicy Balinese sambal matah (raw shallot-chili relish), drizzled with a bit of sweet soy sauce for a touch of caramel flavor. Perfect as a healthy dish with a true taste of the Indonesian archipelago that keeps you coming back for more—different from most salads because it has a crispy fried element that still stays light thanks to the fresh vegetables as its base.
🧂 Ingredients
🍽️ Servings: 3
Adjust the servings and the ingredient amounts & nutrition below update automatically.
- 250 grams tempeh
- 3 tbsp rice flour
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 300 ml cooking oil
- 100 grams curly lettuce
- 50 grams purple cabbage
- 1 cucumber
- 8 cherry tomatoes
- 50 grams long beans
- 8 cloves shallots
- 10 red bird's eye chilies
- 2 stalks lemongrass
- 3 leaves kaffir lime leaves
- 2 lime
- 3 tbsp sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
- 2 tbsp oil for sautéing the sambal matah
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
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👩🍳 Instructions
- 1 Cut the tempeh into small cubes or sticks; set aside.
- 2 Mix the rice flour and cornstarch with a little water until you get a thin batter. Dip the tempeh pieces in the batter, then deep-fry in hot oil until dry and golden brown (kremes-style). Drain on paper towels.
- 3 Wash the lettuce, purple cabbage, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and long beans thoroughly. Thinly slice the purple cabbage, cut the cucumber on a diagonal, halve the cherry tomatoes, and cut the long beans into 3 cm pieces. Blanch the long beans briefly for 1 minute so they soften slightly but stay crisp, then drain and soak in ice water.
- 4 Make the sambal matah: thinly slice the shallots, bird's eye chilies, the white part of the lemongrass, and the kaffir lime leaves (remove the stem/vein and slice finely).
- 5 Heat 2 tbsp of oil until very hot, then pour it over the sliced shallots, chilies, lemongrass, and lime leaves to slightly wilt them and release their aroma. Add the salt, sugar, and lime juice, then mix well.
- 6 Arrange the lettuce, purple cabbage, cucumber, long beans, and cherry tomatoes on a serving plate as the base.
- 7 Place the crispy fried tempeh on top of the vegetables, then drizzle with sambal matah to taste.
- 8 Finally, drizzle a light layer of sweet soy sauce on top for a touch of savory sweetness. Serve immediately while the tempeh is still crispy.
💡 Tips
• Fry the tempeh in oil that's really hot so it turns out dry and crispy without soaking up too much oil.
• Soak the vegetables in ice water after a quick blanch so they stay fresh, crisp, and brightly colored.
• Sambal matah tastes best when made close to serving time so the shallot and lemongrass aroma stays fresh, rather than being stored for a long time.
• If you like it spicier, add extra whole sliced bird's eye chilies without removing the seeds.
📊 Nutrition Facts / serving
310 kkal
Calories (kcal)
14 gramg
Protein
20 gramg
Fat
22 gramg
Carbs
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