Bali is now known as one of the most vegan-friendly places in the world, with trendy cafes and restaurants galore, but traditional Indonesian food also tends to be already plant-based. This vegan red chili stay is one of my favorite dishes, getting its sweet, sour, and spicy flavors from tomatoes and red chili.
YIELDS
2 servings
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
- 400 grams tofu
- oil (for frying tofu)
- 2 tbsp oil (for frying spices)
- 5 red chilies
- 2 tomatoes
- 3 candlenuts
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tsp sugar
- pinch salt (to taste)
- 1 1/2 tbsp sweet soy sauce
- topping sauce
- 4 tbsp sweet soy sauce
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 red bird eye chili
- 2 tsp lime juice
- pinch salt (to taste)
Directions
1. Cut tofu into cubes and deep fry in oil until golden.
2. Fry the candlenuts in oil until golden brown. You can use the oil used for deep frying the tofu. Remove from oil and slice into pieces.
3. Blend red chillies, tomatoes and candlenuts until smooth.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok, pour the blended red chillies. Stir in the heat for about 20 minutes or until it dries up into a paste and the oil has released from its sides. Have a taste, if the chilli still taste raw then keep cooking. The color of the paste will be dark red when its done.
5. Add the salt, sugar, tomato ketchup and soy sauce. Stir and adjust seasonings as per your taste. It should be sweet and spicy.
6. Place the fried tofu into the sauce. Stir in low heat for 2 minutes.
7. Use a skewer and put 5 tofu pieces in 1 skewer.
8. Roast in an open flame (stovetop) or use a satay holder until charred and smells smokey.
9. Make the topping sauce by chopping bird eye chillies finely. Add the all the ingredients for the sauce and stir until well combined. Mash the chilli with the back of the spoon to release its seeds to make the sauce more spicy.
10. Serve satay with rice and spicy soy sauce drizzled on top of the satay. Enjoy!
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Photo: Radhika Bhagchandani
