mendol — East Java, Indonesia

Mendol takes tempeh a stage further than usual: soybeans already bound into tempeh are left to ferment a little longer until they turn softer and stronger in aroma, then mashed with spices and shaped into small ovals before frying. The result is a croquette with a slightly funky, savoury depth that plainer tempeh dishes do not have. It is reported from East Java, where over-fermented tempeh, rather than being discarded, is deliberately used this way and sold cheaply as a snack from small stalls and home kitchens. It is eaten on its own as a side, or alongside rice and a bowl of vegetables in coconut broth. The softened tempeh is crumbled and mashed together with ground garlic, coriander seed, kaffir lime leaf, salt and a little chilli, sometimes with the addition of grated coconut for extra body. The mixture is shaped by hand into small oval patties and deep-fried in hot oil until the outside turns deep brown and slightly crisp while the inside stays soft. Compared with other fried tempeh preparations found across Java, mendol is set apart by its deliberate use of tempeh that has fermented past the point most cooks would use it, which gives it a stronger, earthier flavour than the milder tempeh fritters made from freshly set blocks. Some stalls add extra chilli for a sharper finish.