Grilled Tempeh Roasted Peanuts and Small Anchovies Mix (Ikan Bilis Kacang dan Tempeh) By Lucy Leonardi

This is a popular and wholesome side dish that I grew up eating in Indonesia, adding it to rice or as a snack. A mouthful of this always takes me back to my childhood. Now I am pleased that my kid loves it too. My version is oven baked with olive oil to reduce unhealthy oil absorption from deep frying. A good combination of diverse proteins and addictively delicious!

Ingredients:

  • 1 piece of Tempeh (300gr)
  • 350gr of raw peanuts with skin on
  • 200gr of small dried anchovies
  • 3tbs maple syrup
  • 2tbs neutral flavour olive oil
  • Spice mix:
  • 1tsp ground coriander
  • 1tsp ground cumin
  • 1tsp ground fennel
  • 1tsp ground white pepper
  • 1tsp ground chili
  • 1tsp ground Sichuan peppercorn
  • 2tsp salt

Method:

  1. Slice the tempeh thinly, coat with olive oil and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes on 170C until golden brown and crispy.

  2. On two separate baking trays, lay out the dried anchovies and raw peanuts evenly and not overcrowding them. Bake this (without any oil) for about 15 mins on 150C until both are golden and crispy.

  3. Make your spice mixture by combining all of them in a small mixing bowl.

  4. In a suitable size baking tray, mix the baked tempeh, peanuts and anchovies along with the spice mix, maple syrup and olive oil. Make sure to mix evenly so all the spices and maple syrup coat the ingredients well. Bake this mixture in the oven on 150C for about 15-20 minutes or until nice and golden.

  5. After the baking process is done, take out the tray and make sure to mix the contents so the caramelised parts do not stick to bottom of tray. Let it cool down completely before storing in an airtight container.

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