Indonesian turmeric curry with tofu, tempeh & vegetables

🌱 Make this recipe vegan by substituting the animal product for plant-based ingredients. Check the substitution below.

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About this turmeric curry / Sayur lodeh

This high-protein turmeric curry is a traditional nutrient-rich Indonesian food introduced by the Javanese ethnic group in Indonesia, which is the inventor of tempeh, which is one of the main ingredients in the dish.

In Indonesia, it is known as sayur lodeh. Also go by vegetable stew or vegetable soup in English. It was later adopted by its neighboring countries, Singapore and Malaysia.

Commonly served as a breakfast food in breakfast restaurants, this mix of tempeh and tofu stew-like soup is also a common choice during ceremonious occasions.

Enjoyed alongside other dishes like compressed rice (see below) satay, peanut sauce, chili paste, and boiled egg, this turmeric curry is great on its own too.

I usually eat it like a stew with brown rice and boiled egg as a topping. An old me would have a peanut sauce to eat this with.

However, due to the high amount of oil content that can trigger the inflammation in my joints and skin, I had to give that up and substitute it with sambal oelek instead.

I have been incorporating this food as my lunch and dinner dish. It is one of my favorite tempeh dishes that reminds me of happy days – when my family gathers over food!

This recipe yields enough for four meals for two people, and it usually lasts me until the next day’s dinner. Since it requires quite a number of ingredients, I like to prep them in larger batches.

Why you will like this Turmeric Curry / Sayur lodeh

Packed with protein and vegetables. This one-pot recipe is a complete meal, and it helps you to skip preparing vegetables and protein separately.

Rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. The thin soup base is made from a blend of different anti-inflammatory root spices and is cooked with plant-based milk rich in antioxidant-coconut milk.

If you are worried about the saturated fat content, the recipe contains a decent amount of fresh coconut milk, as I prefer the gravy to be thin and low-fat.

This turmeric curry is both nutritious and delicious. It makes a comforting meal alongside a bowl of rice, especially when you need something warm and soupy.

Ingredients needed to make this Turmeric Curry

Spices to blend

• 9g Ginger
• 7 turmeric
• 4 shallots
• 2 garlic
• 7g of galangal

Flavoring

• 1 1/2 tbsp of Anchovies powder
• 1 lemongrass – bruised
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 tbsp palm sugar
• A bit of black pepper
• Coconut milk

Vegetables

• 1 Carrot
• 1 1/2 cup of cabbage
• Long beans
• Sweet turnips

Protein

• 2 block of firm tofu – cut in cube
• 1 block of tempe – cut in cube
• Beancurd skin/fu chuk /dried tofu stick – soaked in water for 10 minutes and cut them smaller

How to make Sayur lodeh

• Step 1 – Blend the spices ingredients (shallot, ginger, galangal & garlic) until they turn into a paste.

• Step 2 – Mix the blended ingredients with 3 cups of water in a pot and bring to boil for 5 minutes.

• Step 3 – Add vegetables and flavoring (except for coconut milk) and let them cook for 7 minutes or until the carrot is soft. Meanwhile, moving to the next step.

• Step 4 – Coat tempeh and firm tofu with 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder and salt. Cook the tofu and tempeh in an air fryer for 10-15 minutes at 200°C. Optionally, you can cook them in a preheated oven at 240° for 10-15 minutes or until they are slightly brown. While waiting for them to cook, prepare the beancurd sheet.

• Step 5 – Soak the beancurd sheet in water for 10 minutes. Once softened, drain and cut them into bite-size with scissors.

• Step 6 – By this time, the carrot should be soft enough. Add coconut milk, air-fried tofu, tempeh, beancurd sheet, and prawn into the pot. Leave it to simmer for another 5 minutes or until the prawns are no longer pink. And it is ready to be served.

What goes well with this dish?

Traditionally, it is served with a compressed rice cake called lontong or nasi impit. A rice cooked in banana leaves/plastic wrap and folded into a cylinder shape.

But I like to eat with my brown rice and quinoa combo alongside peanut sauce or sambal (Chili paste condiment.)

Meanwhile, on a special occasion like Eid, house-warming, or family gathering, sayur lodeh with the rice cake is often accompanied by satay and boiled egg.

How does this turmeric curry taste?

If you have tried Indian, Japanese, or Thai curry before, this turmeric curry has a milder taste than those curries. It is more of a soupy consistency than a thick curry. You will notice a subtle taste of coconut milk with a hint of fresh turmeric and aromatic spices from lemongrass, ginger, and galangal.

One thing I can assure you is that each spoonful is rich in texture and comes from different plant-based ingredients, which will not only satisfy your taste buds but also be beneficial for your gut health.

What other vegetables can you add in Sayur Lodeh?

• Eggplant
• Sweet corn
• Baby corn
• Mushrooms
• Chili
• Vermicelli
• Pumpkin

Substitution

Anchovie powder – Traditionally, chicken stock is used as flavoring. But since most of them are highly processed, opt for natural flavorings such as dried small prawns or nutritional yeast.

Coconut milk – Unsweetened nut milk, soy milk.

Fresh lemongrass – Lemongrass paste. For this recipe, use 1 1/2 tsp of lemongrass paste.

Sweet Turnip – If you are not familiar with sweet turnips or can’t find them, feel free to swap to other vegetable carbs such as pumpkin & corn.

Prawn – Since the ingredients contain different types of soy-based products as protein, feel free to skip this ingredient and increase the quantity of tofu or tempeh.

You may also like

• TURMERIC AND BLACK PEPPER CHICKEN 
• THAI HOT AND SOUR CHICKEN TOM YUM SOUP
• LEMONGRASS CHICKEN NOODLE SALAD
• VIETNAMESE FRESH SALAD ROLL

🥣 Did you try this recipe? Let me know your thoughts in the comment below.