You Should (Seriously) Make This Bogor Tempeh Laksa Recipe By Petty Pandean-Elliott

The people of West Java were never ones to waste food, and this Bogor laksa is traditionally prepared with grilled oncom, a beautiful orange fermented soy product from this region. Visiting my uncle in Bogor was always a treat, a time to enjoy this laksa with combro, a fried snack made with grated cassava, oncom, chillies and basil.

This laksa is often prepared with chicken, but I’ve opted to use tempeh to keep this dish strictly vegetarian. The broth, beautifully golden from turmeric, lemongrass and lime leaves, is equally fortifying and delicious.

Turmeric will change the flavour and colour of white and red basic pastes. You can create a mild yellow spice paste by omitting the chillies entirely, but it won’t have the same impactful flavour or colour.

Variation

Jakarta Laksa (Laksa Betawi)

This laksa has a deep and rich umami flavour. Add 1 teaspoon of shrimp paste and 2 additional large red chillies to the paste. To your spice blend, add 1 teaspoon of dried shrimp. Replace the tempeh with 100g firm tofu (cut into 1cm cubes), 100g shelled prawns and 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced. Add the chicken and tofu to the broth and cook for 10 minutes. Add the prawns and cook for another 2–3 minutes. Omit the bean sprouts topping and add melinjo crackers (optional).

Recipe extracted from The Indonesian Table by Petty Pandean-Elliott (Phaidon, $60), available now.