Tofu with Black Shrimp Paste

 (Tahu Tek Surabaya)

Tahu Tek is a speciality from Surabaya. Usually it is sold by the street vendor or Pedagang Kaki Lima which go with walking carts. They go from one neighbourhood to another. This dish contains of lontong, fried tofu, potatoes and then pours with sauce which is made from peanut and black fermented shrimp pasted (petis), chilli, and garlic then garnish with crackers. The name 'Tahu Tek' came from how the seller serves it. They use scissor to cut fastly all the ingredients like lontong, tofu and potatoes with scissor and it created a sound 'tek ... tek'. That is why Tahu Tek also known as Tahu Gunting (gunting means scissor).

Category: Vegetables

Difficulty: Easy

Preparing time: 30 minutes

Serving for 4 people

Ingredients

- 250 g tofu

- 4 medium potatoes, boiled

- 2 eggs

- Lontong (compressed rice),have a look at the Lontong recipe.

- 100 g bean sprout, cooked or half-cooked

- 1 spring onion, chopped

- Prawn cracker or Garlic crackers

Sauce

- 100 g fried peanut

- 50 g black shrimp paste (petis)

- 2 bird's eyes chillies

- 2 cloves garlic, fried

- 2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)

-  50 ml warm water

- Salt to taste

Directions

1. Cut tofu and potatoes into cubes. 

2. Heat the frying pan with enough oil to fry the potatoes. Set aside.

3. Whisk the eggs and then add tofu. Fry the mixture. Set aside

4. Make the sauce: use grinding stone to grind fried peanut with fried garlic, chillies and salt. Then add the black shrimp paste, sweet soy sauce, and water. Mix them well to make the sauce.  

5. Serving: Place lontong, fried potatoes, and tofu omelette, then add the bean sprout and spring onion, and pour with the sauce and sprinkle with fried shallots. Garnish with prawn or onion crackers.