This Indonesian tempeh recipe glazes it in sticky-sweet soy sauce

Lee has ties to London, where she lives; Australia, where she grew up; and Indonesia, the land of her father. I’ve never been to the latter two places, but when I make this dish — frying tempeh cubes; sauteing snow peas with lemongrass, lime leaves and ginger; tossing it all with the rich, black kecap manis — I can taste Lee’s pride in her heritage. And after reading her book, in which she writes that “eating vegetarian food in Indonesia is an enlightenment,” I’m determined to visit one day and taste it all for myself.

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Serve with red or brown rice, or another favorite grain.

Storage notes: The finished tempeh can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Where to buy: Kecap manis can be found in Asian and large international supermarkets. If you don’t see a bottle with that name, look for something labeled “sweet soy sauce” or “dark sweet soy sauce” from Indonesia.

• 1/4 cup coconut oil or sunflower oil, plus more as needed
• 1 pound tempeh, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 large shallots (6 ounces), thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 4 long red chiles, such as Asian finger peppers, thinly sliced (de-seeded if you prefer less heat)
• 1 lemongrass stalk, smashed and tied in a knot
• 4 makrut lime leaves (may substitute 2 bay leaves)
• 6 thin slices unpeeled fresh ginger
• 8 ounces snow peas, trimmed
• 3/4 cup (4 ounces) unsalted roasted peanuts
• 3 tablespoons kecap manis (may substitute 1 tablespoon soy sauce plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar)

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add half the tempeh and fry until golden, turning as needed to get most sides browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels or a clean dish towel, and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Repeat with the remaining tempeh and salt, adding a little more oil, if needed.

In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and water.

Add the shallots, garlic, chiles, lemongrass, lime leaves and ginger slices to the now-empty skillet and cook, stirring, until the shallots soften, about 2 minutes. Add the snow peas and cook, stirring, until they are barely crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Add the fried tempeh and peanuts, then add the kecap manis and sugar-water mixture, stirring until the sauce is bubbling and clinging to the other ingredients, about 1 minute. Taste, and season with more salt, if needed.

Discard the lemongrass stalk, lime leaves and ginger slices, and serve hot.

Calories: 650; Total Fat: 40 g; Saturated Fat: 16 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 648 mg; Carbohydrates: 51 g; Dietary Fiber: 5 g; Sugar: 25 g; Protein: 31 g.

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