bacem tofu — Indonesia

Bacem tofu is firm tofu braised slowly in a dark, sweet-savoury liquid built from palm sugar, sweet soy sauce, and aromatics such as galangal, coriander seed, garlic and shallot, until the tofu has absorbed the liquid and turned a deep brown. It belongs to the Javanese bacem method, a slow-braising technique applied just as often to tempeh, chicken or eggs, in which the ingredient simmers in the seasoned liquid until nearly dry. The dish is closely associated with Central Java, where bacem-style cooking is a fixture of home kitchens and market food stalls, and tofu is one of its most common applications thanks to the vegetable's easy availability and low cost. It is usually kept on hand and reheated or fried as needed, rather than cooked and served immediately. To prepare it, tofu pieces are simmered gently in a pan with water, palm sugar, sweet soy sauce, crushed galangal, ground coriander, garlic, shallot and bay leaf until the liquid has mostly reduced and been absorbed. The tofu is left to cool and firm up in the remaining syrupy liquid, then is often pan-fried or deep-fried briefly just before serving to crisp the exterior. What distinguishes bacem tofu within the wider family of sweet-savoury braises found across Indonesia is the double cooking step — a long, slow simmer followed by a short fry — which gives a piece that is sweet and tender inside but caramelised and slightly crisp at the edges.