Tuna & Tempeh Perkedel

Since moving to Palembang, there have been two Indonesian foods that I have grown to really enjoy; Tempeh and Perkedel. Tempeh is basically a fermented soybean cake. Doesn't sound appetizing but it is delicious and very healthy. Perkedel is sort of like fried mashed potatoes.

So tonight, I tried making Perkedel for the first time and I used Tuna and Tempeh as the 'fillings'. I think the Indonesians usually just have it plain or with bits of minced chicken.



Here's the recipe:
3 potatoes (boiled & mashed)
2 shallots (chopped)
250g canned tuna
100g tempeh (chopped small then fried until golden)
2 large eggs (beaten)
pinch of salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and then just spoon then into little round-ish balls and fry them up.

To cut down on the oil, I used a non stick pan. Usually, the Indonesians will use a wok and basically deep fry the balls.

The next time I try this recipe, I'm going to make it healthier by mixing in some sort of puree. That way, it can be a complete meal for Aaron too. I have been pureeing various vegetables (cauliflower, bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots etc) to add easily and quickly into Aaron's meals after a good friend gave me the book "Deceptively Delicious" by Jessica Seinfeld. Instead of just limiting it to Aaron's meals, I've been adding the purees to our own as well because I always end up making too much and don't want to keep them too long.