Tofu Lengko – Tofu Bean Sprout Salad

This gorgeous summer calls for a delicious health boost. That’s why I make this Indonesian salad with tofu. It is called tahu or tofu lengko. It’s covered in a delicious soy sauce that is sweet and sour in flavor with a hint of spiciness.

I like the fact that this salad is crunchy because of the fried tofu and crunchy bean sprouts. It’s also tender because of the caramelized (sauteed) onions.

This tofu lengko fits perfectly in a vegan diet too.

This salad takes about 45 minutes to make and is enough for 3 people.


Tofu Lengko – Tofu Bean Sprout Salad from Tegal #353 translated from Beb Vuyk’s Groot Indonesisch Kookboek, page 292.

Ingredients

  • 1 block of tofu
  • 1 small cucumber
  • +/- 100 grams of bean sprouts
  • 8 tablespoons of oil
  • 2 tablespoons of vinegar

Herbs and Spices

  • 5 tablespoons of chopped onions
  • 2 chopped up cloves of garlic
  • 1 tablespoon of sambal ulek
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar
  • 4 tablespoons of sweet soy sauce
  • salt
  • 1 tablespoon of chopped celery
  1. Cut the tofu into slices of +/- 2,5 cm thickness.
  2. Fry them until golden brown in the oil and cut them into small pieces after cooling.
  3. Bake in the remaining oil the onions golden brown and crispy.
  4. Rinse the bean sprouts under the hot tap and let it drain into a sieve.
  5. Cut the cucumber into very thin slices, sprinkle with a little salt and let the water drain.
  6. Rub garlic, sambal, and sugar together and mix this with the vinegar and soy sauce into a sauce.
  7. Arrange the tofu on a dish, place the bean sprouts and the drained cucumber over them.
  8. Pour the sauce over it and sprinkle on top the fried onions and chopped celery.

Ketjap (soy sauce) is an important ingredient in this tofu lengko. I use ketjap manis from ABC. It is a super sweet soy sauce; a great counter flavor for the two tablespoons of vinegar.

Fry the tofu

It takes a while before the slices are baked crispy and golden brown. That is why I immediately start baking the tofu after I cut it into 2,5 cm slices.

Meanwhile, I rub my herb paste (bumbu).

First I place a finely chopped chili pepper and garlic in the mortar and add my sugar. I use gula Jawa (Javanese sugar), but ordinary or dark brown sugar is also good.

When the bumbu (herb paste) is rubbed I add the vinegar and sweet soy sauce and stir well.

Meanwhile, I cut my cucumber in super thin slices and sprinkle it with some salt and add the cucumber slices to a sieve. I let the water drain out of the cucumber a bit.

I have fried all my tofu and cut them into cubes. I sauté the onions in the oil until golden brown. I let them drain in a sieve.

On a plate I place the fried tofu, with cucumber slices and I add the bean sprouts on top. Now I pour the sauce over it and let the lovely flavors stream into all the ingredients on the plate.

I place the onions, still half warm, on top and I still garnish my dish with some parsley.

We eat this tofu lengko with white rice and some homemade sambal. You do not need anything else!

I always make my own sambal. On this blog you can find 25 different, delicious and easy chili salsa recipes to make at home!

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