Thursday, September 03, 2009

Around the World: Indonesia

Indonesia -- land of tempeh! For those of you not familiar, tempeh is made by cooking and fermenting whole soybeans until they form a solid cake that can be sliced and steamed or fried; it has a nutty, mushroomy flavor and a firm texture. Nutritionally, tempeh has more bioavailable protein than tofu or plain cooked soybeans, and the fermentation process makes it easier to digest. So thank you, Indonesia, for inventing my favorite soy food and a vegan protein powerhouse!

Lunch inspired by Indonesia: (clockwise from top right) Golden Indonesian Tempeh, made with a sweet soy sauce - brown sugar caramelizing glaze and a touch of spicy chile, Indonesian Vegetable Pickles, tangerine and star fruit, and Yellow Coconut Rice. The rice is garnished with a Chile Blossom (Have I mentioned that the new book includes an entire chapter on lunch box garnishes? Indeed it does!)

The vegetable pickles include lots of shallots, a member of the onion family which might not be familiar to all of us here in the West but is used extensively in Indonesia.

Link: Vegan Lunch Box Around the World.

20 comments:

Dindrane said...

By the way, thank you SO much for offering your book on Kindle!

Guitar Player said...

Interesting :D

Anju said...

Oh, I want that book just for the chapter on garnishes. So fun ^_^

Trish said...

Thise sound really good!

I atually like tempeh myself.

Regina said...

Yay! I grew up there. Just got my copy two days ago and want to make every single thing. Thank you!

Anonymous said...

You've officially convinced me to buy tempeh :)

The Voracious Vegan said...

I love Indonesian food, this looks delicious. We can't get tempeh in this part of the world, but I've been really wanting to try some. I think the photo is adorable.

Marie Lynn said...

I am such a big fan of your blog. I am obsessed with blogs and I just happened to stumble across yours on a whim and now I cant keep myself off of it!! I'm addicted! I was in a food rut this month and your blog came at the most perfect time. I am tired of eating the same ol' thing ....and being fully vegetarian/semi-vegan I always feel limited to what I can eat for lunch. Thank You so much for your blog!!! I ordered your books right away and cant wait for them to arive. I am considering buying the Bento 2.0 right now and wanted to ask. Are they large enough for an adults lunch meal? Not that I eat much as I am petite but I want to make sure they hold enough food for me to eat lunch everyday before I buy one. Thoughts???

Jennifershmoo said...

Thanks, Marie. Yes, the Bento 2.0 is bigger than the original Laptop design, and I think it will hold enough food for your lunch, especially if you are petite. Have fun with it! :-)

hapa bento said...

Wow, that looks really yummy. I have tried tempeh without liking it too much. I'll have to give it another go. Have you ever eaten natto? It's a Japanese side dish of fermented soy beans and very nutritional.

Unknown said...

WOW !


It is great to see that you put out so much energy for your son..

there is no other way to eat..

maybe you will inspire a few of his friends .. if they dare ask what he is eating !!!

Look Fantastic !!

William, Trish & Lucas said...

hi, i love your blog and it's giving me great ideas to try out.

i do have a question, on this post, what brand/model is your stainless bento container? I'm looking for one just like it.

thanks.
trish

Jennifershmoo said...

It's a Mr. Bento -- do a Google or Amazon search and you will find them.

Unknown said...

This looks wonderful! Thanks for sharing :) Really like the look of your site and the content, nice job! Would love to know what you thought on my website, www.shar-on.nutrition.com

Thanks and I'll be a regular reader!

Gnoe said...

I absolutely love tempeh too! :) Well, you can wake me for any vegetarian Indonesian food ;) I think gado gado makes a great Indonesian bento dish -- using veggie leftovers! :)

HealthyRainbow.net said...

Oh wow... u got the Batik tablecloth as well :)
Don't you just love sweet soy sauce ? It's the best :)

nicklovin said...

I love indonesian cuisine! My dad was born there so that was something of the "traditional" food in our house. When my mom visited we spent hours making lumpia and emping to dip in katjeng sauce! It's hard to find good vegan wraps for lumpia, though.

Unknown said...

beautiful.
please visit for free ebooks
http://www.ebooktub.com/

Neot said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Suprih Rustanto said...

Hi Jennifer, I'm from Indonesia, I love this post because remind me about my childhood on my village. I miss so much Indonesian food.