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Tempe Mendoan

Name: Tempe Mendoan
Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 250 g tempeh, thinly sliced; 80 g plain flour; 20 g rice flour; 2 cloves garlic, finely grated; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 stalk spring onion, very thinly sliced; 120 ml water; 250 ml neutral oil, for shallow frying; 3 tbsp kecap manis; 1 small red chili, thinly sliced

Tempe Mendoan is a comforting Indonesian snack of thin tempeh slices coated in a lightly seasoned batter and fried until just set and fragrant. The result is tender, savory, and aromatic, especially when dipped into sweet kecap manis with fresh chili.

15 min

2 servings

531 kcal

Indonesian

Ingredients

Tempe and batter

250 gtempeh, thinly sliced
80 gplain flour
20 grice flour
2 clovesgarlic, finely grated
1 tspground coriander
1/2 tspsalt
1 stalkspring onion, very thinly sliced
120 mlwater

For frying and serving

250 mlneutral oil, for shallow frying
3 tbspkecap manis
1 smallred chili, thinly sliced

Instructions

1
Slice the tempeh into thin pieces about 5 mm thick so it cooks quickly and stays flexible, which is characteristic of mendoan. Finely grate the garlic, thinly slice the spring onion, and slice the chili.
2
In a bowl, whisk together the plain flour, rice flour, grated garlic, ground coriander, salt, sliced spring onion, and water into a smooth, pourable batter. It should be thinner than a typical fritter batter so the coating stays light; add 1-2 teaspoons more water if needed.
3
Heat the neutral oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat until it reaches about 170-175°C. The oil is ready when a drip of batter rises immediately but does not brown too fast.
4
Dip each slice of tempeh into the batter, coating it fully, then slide it into the hot oil. Fry in batches for 1-1 1/2 minutes per side until the batter is just set and pale golden. For authentic mendoan, do not fry until deeply crisp; it should remain soft and lightly fried.
5
Transfer the fried tempeh to a rack or paper towel briefly to drain. Stir the sliced chili into the kecap manis for a quick dipping sauce.
6
Serve immediately while warm with the chili kecap manis on the side. Mendoan is best eaten fresh, when the coating is tender and aromatic.

Nutrition per serving

531 kcal

Calories

22g

Protein

44g

Carbs

29g

Fat

Fiber

Notes

•If you cannot find rice flour, use all plain flour; the coating will be slightly less delicate but still good.
•Tempe mendoan is intentionally soft rather than crunchy, so keep the frying brief.
•A pinch of white pepper in the batter is optional and common in home-style versions.
•Serve with hot tea, steamed rice, or as a snack alongside fresh bird's eye chilies if you like more heat.

Background

Tempe mendoan comes from Banyumas in Central Java, where "mendo" refers to a soft or half-cooked texture. Unlike fully crisp fried tempeh, this version is dipped in a thin seasoned batter and fried briefly, making it a popular street snack and home comfort food in Indonesia.

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