Tahu goreng

Did You Know?

• In Malay and Indonesian, tauhu or tahu refers to 'tofu' and goreng indicates 'fried'.
• Tofu originated from China and was brought to Southeast Asia by Chinese immigrants.
• When preparing tahu goreng, cakes of hard tofu are deep-fried until golden brown and often served cut diagonally with bean sprouts, cucumber, and scallion.

Variations

In Indonesia, tahu goreng is prepared either lightly fried or deep fried, and can be served plain or with a batter coating. It is commonly paired with sambal kecap, a spicy condiment made from sweet soy sauce, chopped chili peppers, and shallots, though some versions substitute a chili-spiked peanut sauce. The most widespread variant is tahu isi, which means filled tofu. This version has a stuffing of bean sprouts, carrots, and occasionally minced meat, then gets battered and deep fried. It is a typical offering from gorengan fritter sellers and is often eaten with bird's eye chili. Tahu sumedang is named after Sumedang city in West Java, where it was first made by the Tahu Bunkeng shop, founded by Chinese immigrants in 1917. Tahu gejrot comes from Cirebon, West Java, and consists of fried tofu in a thin, hot, sweet, and sour sauce with shallots and chilies. Tahu taoge is a stir-fry of diced tofu and bean sprouts. Tahu campur, meaning mixed tofu, includes beef slices, vegetables, bean sprouts, and either noodles or rice vermicelli in a thin broth, and is common in East Java cities like Malang, Surabaya, and Lamongan. Tahu gunting, or tofu cut with scissors, features fried tofu in a thick, sweet, and spicy peanut sauce and originates from Surabaya. Tahu telur, tofu with egg, combines an omelette, bean sprouts, peanuts, and lontong rice cake, all served in a thin sweet and sour soy sauce, also from Surabaya. Tahu bulat, also called tahu bola or bola-bola tahu, is a newer variant from Tasikmalaya where seasoned tofu is shaped into balls and deep fried. Kupat tahu pairs ketupat rice cake with bean sprouts in a thick sweet and spicy peanut sauce, found across Java, with notable versions from Kuningan, Magelang, Solo, and Surabaya.