From Heavenly Fragrances, author Carol Selva Rajah singles out local recipes for her latest book, Malaysian Cooking. TAN BEE HONG tests one of her recipes.

Cooked with sambal that´s scented with lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, the tempeh is delicious with hot rice. Wrapped in lettuce leaf cups, it makes a lovely appetiser too. But I don´t have ground red pepper, so I substituted it with black pepper, giving it a more pedas bite.

Malaysian Cooking is published by Periplus Editions, Tuttle Publishing. Priced at RM72, it is available in all good bookstores.

• 3 tbsp oil
• 2 cups diced tempeh
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 stalk lemongrass, thick bottom part only, sliced and ground
• 1/2 tsp ground red pepper
• 1/2 tsp belacan, roasted
• 1 1/2 tbsp palm sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 lemon, juice
• salt and ground white pepper to taste
• 1 cup snowpeas, trimmed and blanched (optional)
• 3 kaffir lime leaves, shredded

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in wok and fry tempeh cubes over medium heat until crisp. Remove and drain.

2. Wipe wok clean. Heat remaining oil and stirfry onion and garlic until golden. Add lemongrass, red pepper, belacan, sugar and 3 tbsp water. Stirfry 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and stirfry ingredients until they caramelise.

3. Return fried tempeh to wok and toss until well coated with caramelised spices. Add more water if necessary.

4. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

5. Arrange snow peas on serving platter and put cooked tempeh on top. Sprinkle with shredded kaffir lime leaves and serve hot.

[From "Focus on Malaysian Flavours, New Sunday Times. 10 Jan 2010"] 

Pictures by KHOO SU TING