Pandean-Elliott says: “The people of West Java were never ones to waste food, and this Bogor laksa is traditionally prepared with grilled oncom, a beautiful orange fermented soy product from this region. Visiting my uncle in Bogor was always a treat, a time to enjoy this laksa with combro, a fried snack made with grated cassava, oncom, chillies and basil.

“This laksa is often prepared with chicken, but I’ve opted to use tempeh to keep this dish strictly vegetarian. The broth, beautifully golden from turmeric, lemongrass and lime leaves, is equally fortifying and delicious.”

Origin: Java

Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus 10 minutes marinating time

Cooking time: 35–40 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the spice blend:

1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon white peppercorns

For the laksa:

Salt, to taste
250g/9 oz tempeh, cut into 1-cm/1⁄2-inch-thick slices
2 tablespoons coconut oil or vegetable oil
½ quantity Yellow Spice Paste (see below)
3 green cardamom pods, slightly crushed
4 makrut lime leaves, torn
1 stalk lemongrass, crushed and tied into a knot
600ml/20 fl oz (2½ cups) coconut milk
1–2 tablespoons coconut sugar (optional)
200g/7 oz dried rice noodles
Handful of basil
Juice of 1 lime
Boiled Sambal (see below), to serve

For the toppings:

2–4 eggs
50 g/13⁄4 oz (1⁄4 cup) bean sprouts
2 tablespoons Crispy Shallots

To make the spice blend, dry-roast the spices in a small frying pan over medium heat for 4–5 minutes. Leave to cool slightly. Transfer to a pestle and mortar and grind to a fine powder. Set aside.

For the laksa, put ½ teaspoon of the spice blend into a medium bowl. Add 100 ml/31⁄2 fl oz (scant 1⁄2 cup) of water and 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and mix well. Add the tempeh, stir to coat and marinate for 10 minutes. Heat a griddle pan over high heat. Working in batches, add the tempeh and grill for 2–3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining tempeh, then cut into 1-cm/1⁄2-inch cubes.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the yellow spice paste and sauté for 4 minutes. Add the remaining spice blend, cardamom and half of the tempeh. Mix well and cook for 1 minute. Add the lime leaves and lemongrass. Pour in the coconut milk and 300ml/10 fl oz (11⁄4 cups) of water. Season with coconut sugar, if using, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the eggs into a small saucepan of water. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Drain, then transfer to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. When cool enough to handle, peel the eggs and halve them. Prepare the dried noodles according to the package directions. Drain, then transfer to a bowl of cold water. Drain again, then set aside.

Discard the lime leaves. Add half of the basil and the lime juice to the broth and cook for 1 minute. Season to taste. Divide the noodles into 4 bowls. Ladle 2–3 spoons of hot broth into each bowl. Top with eggs, grilled tempeh, bean sprouts, crispy shallots and the remaining basil. Serve with boiled sambal.

The Indonesian Table: 3 delectable vegetarian recipes for a midweek feast