Sambal Tempe Penyet // Indonesian Style Spicy Crushed Tempe

Indonesians almost eat everything with sambal. Sambal is a condiment used in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka, made from a variety of peppers, although chilli peppers (red chilies, green chilies, bird's eye chilies) are the most common. Sambal is used as a condiment or as a side dish, and is sometimes substituted for fresh chillis; it can be very hot for the uninitiated. It is available at exotic food markets or gourmet departments in supermarkets in numerous countries.

When I was in Sidoarjo (a suburban city of Surabaya, East Java), Indonesia, it's easy to get Sambal Tempe Penyet at a kaki lima vendor or a warung around Sidoarjo-Surabaya. We eat this sambal penyet with warmed steamed rice. Since I have been in Canada, I have to make this by myself which I never did it while I was in Indonesia.



Ingredients:
300 grams tempe, cut as desired
olive oil with fried garlics
4 red chilies
5 bird's eye chilies
3 cloves garlic
2 cm kencur root (some people may name this as lesser galangal , but it is totally different another proper name is kaepferia galangal)
1/2 tsp dried shrimp paste (it's called terasi in Indonesian's term), toasted or stir fry
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar


Directions:
1. Toast tempe with a small amout of olive oi. Bake until brown or done. Alternative: you can grill or deep fry the tempeh.
2. Grind or blend red chilies, bird's eye chilies, garlic, kencur, dried shrimp paste, salt and sugar. It will be better if you grind the sambal ingredients in a mortar with a pestle.
3. Place tempe and sambal in a serving plate, crush tempe and stir evenly with the sambal. Serve with warmed steamed rice.
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A Taste Of Yellow - Bakwan Tuna

I read �Going Mellow Yellow� at mbak Arfi's blog. I was not aware of LIVESTRONG Day before. To learn more about it, I read �Taste Of Yellow-for Livestrong Day� at Barbara's blog.
After reading about Livestrong Day, it reminded me of my Mom, who didn�t survive from her breast cancer. She fought with the disease for a little less than a year after she was diagnosed. She is my ideal figure. She worked as a biology teacher at a high school in Sidoarjo (a suburban city of Surabaya, East Java), but she still had time to take care of her family. She was an awesome wife, mom, and teacher. She is one of the most patient women I've ever known. She was also a good baker. She loved to bake and cook.

As I recall, she really cared about healthy food. However, there is always a outside chance of getting the disease no matter how healthy we are. It might be the family history or many other factors.
My contribution for A Taste Of Yellow is Bakwan Tuna. Bakwan is a Indonesian style fritter. We usually add vegetables such as carrots, bean sprouts and corns, as well as eggs, flour and rice flour. In this recipe, I tried a different approach. I added tuna and corn flour instead of adding vegetables, flour, rice flour and corn. I suggested using light tuna for a healthier choice as support to Livestrong Day.


Ingredients:
1 can (120 g) tuna
2 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground coriander seed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp finelly chopped parsley (Actually In Indonesian recipe, we add Chinese celery leaves and I myself prefer add Chinese celery leaves as well as cilantro)
1 green onion, finely sliced
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp corn flour*, divided
salt as desired
1 tsp butter
1 tsp olive oil with fried garlic (it's known as Spanish olive oil)


* Don't get confused between corn flour and corn starch. Corn flour is finely ground cornmeal obtained from kernels from which the germ has been removed in order to improve the storage life of the flour. Corn flour is used for breading and in combination with other flours in baked goods. Be aware that in British recipes the term "corn flour" means cornstarch, and the two cannot be substituted for each other.

Directions:
1. Place tuna in a bowl with next 7 ingredients and 1 tbsp a corn flour. Mix until well combined and form into 4 patties. Dredge patties in remaining 1 tbsp corn flour.

2. In a frying pan (I used crepe pan), melt butter and olive oil together over medium high heat until bubbling. Turn heat down to medium and place patties in the pan. Use spatula to flaten the patties a bit. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side. Bakwan Tuna should be nicely browned and cooked throughly.
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