Tauhu goreng
Encyclopedia
Tahu goreng or Tauhu goreng (Malaysian and Singaporean spelling) is a dish of fried tofu
commonly found in Indonesia
, Malaysia and Singapore
.
are deep fried until golden brown. The bean curds are then cut diagonally in half and arranged on a plate garnished with bean sprouts, cucumber
and spring onion. A thick sauce is prepared with shallot
s, garlic
, chillies, shrimp
paste, soy sauce
and tamarind
juice.
and Malay language
; tahu or tauhu refers to 'tofu' and goreng indicates 'fried'. Tofu was originated from China
and brought to Southeast Asia
by Chinese immigrants to the region. Fried tofu cannot be claimed as a dish exclusively found in Malay cuisine or Indonesian cuisine since tofu and fried tofu are consumed extensively in Asian cultures, and has found its way into mainstream Western vegetarian diets. Tahu goreng is largely similar to the Japanese dish agedashi tofu
where the latter is not spicy and uses fewer condiments, although both versions use generous servings of soy sauce
.
. In Indonesia, tahu goreng is usually eaten with sambal kecap a kind of sambal
hot condiment made from kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) and chopped chillies and shallots. Some variant might uses peanut sauce
with chili instead. Some variants are:
Tofu
is a food made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. It is part of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and others. There are many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu...
commonly found in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Malaysia and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
Preparation
When preparing the dish, cakes of hard tofuTofu
is a food made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. It is part of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and others. There are many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu...
are deep fried until golden brown. The bean curds are then cut diagonally in half and arranged on a plate garnished with bean sprouts, cucumber
Cucumber
The cucumber is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash, and in the same genus as the muskmelon. The plant is a creeping vine which bears cylindrical edible fruit when ripe. There are three main varieties of cucumber: "slicing", "pickling", and...
and spring onion. A thick sauce is prepared with shallot
Shallot
The shallot is the botanical variety of Allium cepa to which the multiplier onion also belongs. It was formerly classified as the species A. ascalonicum, a name now considered a synonym of the correct name...
s, garlic
Garlic
Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...
, chillies, shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
paste, soy sauce
Soy sauce
Soy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds, along with water and salt...
and tamarind
Tamarind
Tamarind is a tree in the family Fabaceae. The genus Tamarindus is monotypic .-Origin:...
juice.
Cultural origins
In IndonesianIndonesian language
Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....
and Malay language
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
; tahu or tauhu refers to 'tofu' and goreng indicates 'fried'. Tofu was originated from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and brought to Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
by Chinese immigrants to the region. Fried tofu cannot be claimed as a dish exclusively found in Malay cuisine or Indonesian cuisine since tofu and fried tofu are consumed extensively in Asian cultures, and has found its way into mainstream Western vegetarian diets. Tahu goreng is largely similar to the Japanese dish agedashi tofu
Agedashi tofu
Agedashi tofu is a Japanese way to serve hot tofu. Silken firm tofu, cut into cubes, is lightly dusted with potato starch or cornstarch and then deep fried until golden brown...
where the latter is not spicy and uses fewer condiments, although both versions use generous servings of soy sauce
Soy sauce
Soy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds, along with water and salt...
.
Indonesia
Tahu goreng is a generic name for any type of fried tofu in Indonesia, it can be mildly fried or deep fried, plain or batteredBatter (cooking)
Batter is a semi-liquid mixture of one or more flours combined with liquids such as water, milk or eggs used to prepare various foods. Often a leavening agent such as baking powder is included to aerate and fluff up the batter as it cooks, or the mixture may be naturally fermented for this purpose...
. In Indonesia, tahu goreng is usually eaten with sambal kecap a kind of sambal
Sambal
Sambal is a chili based sauce which is normally used as a condiment. Sambals are popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the southern Philippines and Sri Lanka, as well as in the Netherlands and in Suriname through Javanese influence. It is typically made from a variety of chili peppers and is...
hot condiment made from kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) and chopped chillies and shallots. Some variant might uses peanut sauce
Peanut sauce
Peanut sauce, satay sauce, bumbu kacang, or sambal kacang is a sauce widely used in the cuisines of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, China and Africa. It is also used, to a lesser extent, in European and Middle Eastern cuisine.-Ingredients:The main ingredient is ground roasted peanuts, for...
with chili instead. Some variants are:
- Tahu isi: (lit: filled tofu), probably the most popular variant of tahu goreng in Indonesia, tofu filled with beansprouts, carrotCarrotThe carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh...
s and sometimes minced meat is battered and deep fried. It is commonly found in gorengan (Indonesian fritters) vendors. Commonly eaten with cabai rawit (bird's eye chili). - Tahu sumedangTahu sumedangTahu sumedang or Tahu bunkeng is Sundanese deep fried tofu from Sumedang, West Java.-History:In 1917, a Chinese Indonesian Ong Kino made the first tofu in Sumedang, West Java. After returning to China, he bequeathed his business to his son, Ong Bun Keng. From 1970 until 1980 the business advanced....
: the name derived from SumedangSumedangSumedang is a town in West Java, Indonesia, approximately 35 km northeast of Bandung.The town is famous for tahu Bungkeng, a local variety of deep fried tofu which was first made by a Chinese immigrant, Ong Kino....
city, West JavaWest JavaWest Java , with a population of over 43 million, is the most populous and most densely populated province of Indonesia. Located on the island of Java, it is slightly smaller in area than densely populated Taiwan, but with nearly double the population...
. Pioneered by Tahu Bunkeng tofu store in Sumedang established by a Chinese imigrants in 1917. - Tahu gejrot: fried tofu in hot sweet and sour thin sauce with shalots and chilies, originated from CirebonCirebonCirebon is a port city on the north coast of the Indonesian island of Java. It is located in the province of West Java near the provincial border with Central Java, approximately 297 km east of Jakarta, at .The seat of a former Sultanate, the city's West and Central Java border location have...
city, West JavaWest JavaWest Java , with a population of over 43 million, is the most populous and most densely populated province of Indonesia. Located on the island of Java, it is slightly smaller in area than densely populated Taiwan, but with nearly double the population...
. - Tahu taoge: stir fried diced tofu with beansprouts.
- Tahu bulat (round tofu) or tahu bola also called bola-bola tahu (tofu balls): is a relatively new variant of fried tofu from TasikmalayaTasikmalayaTasikmalaya is a city in southeastern West Java, Indonesia, between Bandung and Purwokerto on the southerly of the two major road routes across Java...
. The tofu is mixed with seasoning and printed in balls or rounded form, and later deep-fried in cooking oil.