Hearty, fragrant, and nutritious, this warming, soupy coconut milk turmeric curry makes a well-balanced breakfast, lunch, and dinner meal. Perfect on its own or with rice, top with a spicy condiment, sambal ulek.
About this turmeric curry
Also known as Sayur Lodeh, this vegetable coconut milk turmeric stew originates from Java Island, Indonesia—the birthplace of tempeh. Today, it is a popular tempeh and tofu dish in neighboring countries like Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei.
In my family, Sayur Lodeh is a festive dish often seen during family gatherings and cultural celebrations. Typically complemented with peanut sauce or other spicy condiments, satay, and compressed rice, this combo, called Lontong, is also available in the morning at many restaurants.
💡 Recipe highlight: Nourishing, one-pot meal, rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory spices.
Table of Contents
- About this turmeric curry
- Why I love this turmeric curry
- Ingredients to make this Authentic Indonesian Turmeric Curry
- How to make this Indonesian turmeric curry – step-by-step guide
- What goes well with turmeric curry?
- How Does This Turmeric Curry Taste? (Flavor & Texture)
- Variations: Other vegetables you can add to Sayur Lodeh
- FAQ
- Substitution
- Recipes you might like
Why I love this turmeric curry
This soupy yellow curry is my favorite Indonesian tempeh dish, and it reminds me of happy days when my family gathered over food! It also connects me with my Indonesian heritage.
I like that it can be a complete meal that combines plant-based carbs, vegetables, and protein in 1 meal. Kinda like 1 pot of vegetables and a plant-based protein meal.
Packed with ingredients rich in anti-inflammatory properties. The soupy base of this turmeric curry combines different anti-inflammatory root spices like fresh turmeric, ginger, galangal, garlic, and lemongrass, cooked with plant-based milk (which also contains antioxidants).
Packed with antioxidants, this dish features vibrant vegetables, plant-based proteins, and coconut milk infused with aromatic superfood spices.
All in all, this turmeric curry is both nutritious and delicious. It’s an aromatic, well-balanced, warm, and satisfying creamy soup.
Ingredients to make this Authentic Indonesian Turmeric Curry
Vegetables
- Carrot
- Cabbage
- Long beans
- Sweet turnips
Protein
- Hard tofu
- Tempeh
- Beancurd skin/fu chuk /dried tofu stick
Spices to blend
- Fresh ginger
- Fresh turmeric
- Shallots
- Fresh garlic
- Fresh galangal
Seasoning
- Anchovies powder
- Lemongrass
- Salt
- Palm sugar
- Ground black pepper
Base
- Coconut cream
How to make this Indonesian turmeric curry – step-by-step guide
- Blend the spices ingredients—shallot, ginger, galangal & garlic until smooth. Add 1/4 a cup of water if it helps to blend smoother.
- Boil the spices—In a medium to big-sized pot, mix the blended ingredients with 3 cups of water and bring it to a boil over high heat.
- Cook veggies & seasoning—Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium to low, add vegetables and seasoning ingredients, and let them cook for 10 minutes until the carrots are soft. Meanwhile, moving to the next step.
- Air-fry tofu and tempeh—Mix the tempeh and firm tofu with 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder and salt in a separate bowl and coat them evenly. Next, 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. - Soak Beancurd—Soak the beancurd sheet in water for 10 minutes. Once softened, drain and cut them into bite-size with scissors.
- Add the rest of the ingredients—When the carrots are soft enough (not mushy), and the air-fried tofu and tempeh are ready, reduce the heat to low heat, add coconut cream, air-fried tofu with tempeh, beancurd sheet, and prawn into the pot.
Stir while simmering for another 5 minutes or until the prawns are no longer pink. Turn off the heat and remove the pot from the stove.
What goes well with turmeric curry?
If you’re feeling special or having some guests, this Sayur Lodeh will pair great with satay and peanut sauce.
This turmeric curry is typically paired with rice. I like to eat it with my brown rice and quinoa combo alongside this sambal ulek with cherry tomatoes.
Some variations add mung bean vermicelli when cooking this dish, so you can enjoy it like a bowl of noodles! To do that, boil a portion of vermicelli noodles and add it to your bowl of turmeric curry.
How Does This Turmeric Curry Taste? (Flavor & Texture)
Expect the aromatic flavor of lemongrass, ginger, galangal, and fresh turmeric with a balance of sweet and salty coconut milk. If you have tried aromatic Indonesian turmeric rice, you will love this curry.
Texture-wise, this turmeric curry has a soupier consistency than a thick curry. So, if you have tried Indian, Japanese, or Thai curry before, this turmeric curry is way on the milder side.
I can assure you that each spoonful is rich in texture and plant-based goodness that comes with a warming spices sensation and is beneficial for your gut health.
Variations: Other vegetables you can add to Sayur Lodeh
- Eggplant
- Sweet corn
- Baby corn
- Mushrooms
- Pumpkin
FAQ
What is the difference between Indonesian turmeric curry and Thai curry?
Unlike Thai curry, which normally uses curry paste, Indonesian curry has a lighter, soupy consistency.
How do I store and reheat this turmeric curry?
Store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge. To reheat, simmer over low heat to prevent coconut milk from curdling. Or go for the microwave.
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.
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 and 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.
Recipes you might like
- Turmeric and Black Pepper Chicken
- Aromatic Indonesian Turmeric Rice
- Thai Hot and Sour Chicken Tom Yum Soup
- Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Salad
Indonesian turmeric curry with tofu, tempeh & vegetables – Sayur lodeh
4
servings10
minutes20
minutes1886
kcalThis aromatic Indonesian Turmeric Curry (Sayur Lodeh) is packed with protein, vibrant vegetables, and a mix of warming spices. A one-pot meal perfect for lunch or dinner, even breakfast!
Ingredients
- Vegetables
1 carrot – cut in medium matchstick (See photo above)
90g of Cabbage / one cup of cut cabbage
1 cup of long beans – cut them short (half a finger length)
1 cup of sweet turnips – cut in medium matchstick
- Protein
2 blocks of firm tofu – cut into medium cubes
2 blocks of tempeh / 200g – cut into medium cubes
40g of beancurd skin – fu chuk / dried tofu stick
180g of prawns (Optional)
- Seasoning
1 1/2 tbsp of anchovie powder (See substitution above)
2 lemongrass – bruised
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp palm sugar/coconut sugar
A pinch or 2 of black pepper
- Liquid base
1 cup of coconut cream
3 and 1/2 cups of water
- Spices to blend
9g of fresh ginger
7g of fresh turmeric
4 pieces of shallots / 1 red onion
2 cloves of garlic
7g of galangal
Directions
- Blend the spices ingredients—shallot, ginger, galangal & garlic until smooth. Add 1/4 a cup of water if it helps to blend smoother. (See photo above)
- Boil the spices—In a medium to big-sized pot, mix the blended ingredients with 3 cups of water and bring it to a boil over high heat.
- Cook veggies & seasoning—Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium, add vegetables and seasoning ingredients, and let them cook for 10 minutes until the carrots are soft. Meanwhile, moving to the next step.
- Air-fry tofu and tempeh—Mix the tempeh and firm tofu with 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder and salt in a separate bowl and coat them evenly. Next, 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.
- Soak Beancurd—Soak the beancurd sheet in water for 10 minutes. Once softened, drain and cut them into bite-size with scissors.
- Add the rest of the ingredients—When the carrots are soft enough (not mushy), and the air-fried tofu and tempeh are ready, reduce the heat to low heat, add coconut cream, air-fried tofu with tempeh, beancurd sheet, and prawn into the pot. Stir while simmering for another 5 minutes or until the prawns are no longer pink. Turn off the heat and remove the pot from the stove.
- Serve it warm and enjoy!
🥣 Did you try this recipe? Let me know your thoughts in the comment below.
