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Indonesian-Style Stir-Fried Red Chili Tofu with Peanuts
In Jakarta, at Warteg Gang Mangga, we loved the spicy, savory-sweet kering tempeh. Crisply fried nuggets of tempeh were tossed with bumbu dasar merah, a red spice paste made by pureeing aromatics, that was cooked to a thick, glaze-like sauce that coated the craggy bits. When we attempted to re-create the stir-fry at home, the quality of supermarket tempeh disappointed. So we shifted to tofu. Pressed to remove moisture, then cut into batons, coated with starch and fried, tofu makes a fantastic variation on the classic Indonesian dish. We also toss in peanuts for nuttiness and texture. Kecap manis is a type of sweet soy sauce with a deep savoriness and a syrupy, molasses-like consistency. If it is not available, make an approximation by stirring together 1 tablespoon each soy sauce, molasses and light brown sugar; use in place of the 2 tablespoons kecap manis added at the end of cooking.
4
Servings
Don’t skip the step of pressing the tofu. With excess moisture removed, the tofu will be sturdier and meatier and will better hold up to stir-frying. To be efficient, use the hour it sits under weights to prep the other ingredients.
1½ hours
45 minutes active
Ingredients
-
14- 16
ounce container firm or extra-firm tofu, drained
-
¼
cup coconut milk
Directions
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01Line a large plate with a double layer of paper towels. Place the tofu on the paper towels and cover with additional paper towels. Top with a small cutting board or other flat surface, then place cans or jars on top to weigh it down. Let stand 1 hour.