Recipe: Kenn Lam's Tempeh Betutu
During this extended Covid-19 lockdown in the UK, I have found that I’ve really lost my appetite. Not quite the actual feeling of hunger; rather I lost any desire to cook something tasty or chase flavour-based stimulation. To help me get back into cooking for fun, I turned to other people’s recipes - something I rarely do. Thus I had an idea to cook recipes shared by my Instagram friends and from my potluck club.
My friend Kenn Lam, a talented Singaporean artist (who did all my branding!), shared a step-by-step recipe for ayam betutu — Balinese spiced chicken. I decided to make the chicken, along with a vegan version using tempeh, on one of our BBQ nights. The recipe is both advanced and simple. What do I mean by that? There are many ingredients, but most Asian food lovers may find they already have them, whether fresh, dry or frozen. I love Kenn’s instructions, because he advises us to make the paste using instinct and with an intent to achieve a flavour profile, rather than by following exact ingredients and measures. This is the ‘agak agak’ way — Malay for ‘more or less’, or as any other Asians of my generation can testify: Asian elder style. (How much water for the rice cooker, mum? About this much *mum holds up her little finger*). So for some people, this way of cooking is daunting. For me, it is liberating and I believe it’s what puts the soul into any dish.
I used the old school technique of wrapping the parcels in banana leaves, partially steaming then grilling on the BBQ. The spices together with pre-steaming gave it a delicate, aromatic vibe but the dipping sauce really made it.
Let me know if you try this recipe and share your results on Instagram with #CelestialPeach.
Ingredients (serves 4)
400g tempeh, sliced into 1cm thick pieces
Spice paste, in order of agak agak amount: Shallots, Garlic, Chillies, Ginger, Galangal, Turmeric, Candlenuts, Ground coriander seeds, Shrimp paste (omit if vegan), Lemongrass, Kaffir lime leaves, Salt, Pinch of sugar, Coconut oil
For the sambal matah dipping sauce: Shallots, Garlic, Chillies, Lemongrass, Kaffir lime leaves, Salt, Oil
Instructions
Blend all the spice paste ingredients in a food processor.
Coat the tempeh in the paste, and wrap in banana leaves, securing with string or toothpicks.
Steam for 10 minutes, then grill on low heat on a BBQ for 20 minutes. Alternatively, you could bake the tempeh in an oven, or stir fry the tempeh in the spice mix.
Meanwhile, prepare the sambal matah.
Finely chop all the ingredients and mix together in a heatproof bowl.
Heat oil to smoking point.
Pour oil over raw ingredients and mix.
Squeeze in some lime juice once the sauce has cooled to room temperature.
