Sambal Goreng Kacang Panjang (Indonesian Spicy Long Bean and Tomato Stir-Fry)

About This Recipe

Sambal goreng is a broad category of Indonesian dishes united by one technique: a paste of chilies, shallots, and garlic fried in oil until fragrant and deeply red, then used to coat whatever main ingredient is being cooked. This version uses long beans and cubes of tempeh, simmered with tomato until the sauce clings and the beans stay just crisp-tender. The key technique is frying the sambal paste properly -- it needs real time in hot oil, often 8-10 minutes, until the raw chili smell disappears and the paste turns a deep brick-red and smells sweet rather than sharp. Skipping this step is the most common reason home versions taste flat. Tomatoes are added after the paste is fully cooked, breaking down into the sauce to add body and a gentle acidity. This is everyday home cooking in Indonesia, the kind of dish that shows up alongside rice and a fried egg on a weeknight table. It keeps well and, like many sambal-based dishes, some cooks think it tastes even better the next day once the flavors settle.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 300 glong beans(cut into 2-inch pieces)
• 200 gtempeh(cubed and fried until golden)
• 5shallots
• 4 clovesgarlic
• 4red chilies(seeded if less heat wanted)
• 2tomatoes(chopped)
• 2candlenuts
• 3 tbspoil
• 1bay leaf
• 1 slicegalangal
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tsppalm sugar
• 100 mlwater

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the paste

   Blend shallots, garlic, chilies, and candlenuts into a coarse paste.

2. 2

   Fry the tempeh

   Shallow-fry tempeh cubes until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. 3

   Cook the sambal paste

   Heat oil and fry the chili paste with bay leaf and galangal over medium-low heat, stirring often, until deep red and fragrant, 8-10 minutes.

4. 4

   Add tomatoes

   Stir in chopped tomatoes and cook until they break down into a thick sauce, about 5 minutes.

5. 5

   Simmer the beans

   Add long beans, water, salt, and palm sugar. Simmer 6-8 minutes until beans are crisp-tender.

6. 6

   Finish

   Fold in the fried tempeh, simmer 2 more minutes to coat, then taste and adjust salt and sugar before serving with rice.

Variations

• •

  Add shrimp or hard-boiled eggs along with or instead of the tempeh.

• •

  Use green beans if long beans aren't available -- reduce simmer time by 2-3 minutes.

• •

  Make it milder by using fewer chilies and adding a spoonful of tomato paste for color instead.

Storage

Keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheats nicely on the stove -- the flavor often deepens overnight. Freeze for up to 1 month.

Frequently Asked Questions