Recipes › Tempe Orek

Tempe Orek

By Rani Nurani · Published 2 November 2026

Tempe orek is tempeh sliced thin, fried until edged with crunch, then tossed in a reduced kecap manis glaze with garlic and chilli. It keeps well and packs into rice boxes without going sad.

Ingredients

• 400 g tempeh, sliced into thin matchsticks
• Oil for shallow frying
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 4 shallots, sliced
• 2 red chillies, sliced
• 3 tablespoons kecap manis
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons water
• ½ teaspoon salt, pinch white pepper
• Fried shallots to finish

Method

1. Shallow-fry tempeh in batches until golden at the edges. Drain.
2. In a wide pan, fry garlic, shallots and chilli in 1 tbsp oil until fragrant.
3. Add kecap manis, light soy, water, salt and pepper. Simmer 30–60 seconds until syrupy.
4. Toss in tempeh until every strip is coated and glossy. Finish with fried shallots. Serve with rice and raw cucumber.

Notes and tips

• Thin slices crisp better than thick batons.
• Dry tempeh fries cleaner — pat it if it was rinsed.
• Make a double batch; it keeps 3 days refrigerated.

Cooked it? Tell us how it went on the contact page — corrections and regional variations are always welcome.

Common mistakes

• Crowding the fry Tempe steams and stays pale. Batch it.
• Watery glaze Reduce until it coats a spoon before adding tempeh.
• Burnt garlic Garlic goes in after the oil is warm, not smoking.

Frequently asked questions