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Ketjap Manis Tempeh Bowl

App exclusive

45 min

Main

These soft, delicious tempeh balls get coated in a super flavourful sauce where ketjap manis is the star ingredient. Originating from Indonesia, ketjap manis is a sweet, thick soy sauce that adds a delightful umami taste to the dish. These protein-rich balls are then served with warm rice and crisp fresh veggies, creating a perfectly balanced meal.

Servings

(4 tempeh balls per serving)

Total

45 min

Prep

30 min

Cook

15 min

Contains

Soy symbol

soy

Sesame symbol

sesame

Gluten symbol

gluten

Free from

Peanut symbol

peanut

Treenut symbol

tree nut

What others say


Lauralyn - Jan. 24, 2025, 2:16 p.m.

Super good. That sauce is addictive!


Alexis - Dec. 26, 2024, 2:56 p.m.

This recipe was delicious but unfortunately didn’t work well for me. The tempeh balls remained pretty soft and I served them separately with the sauce.


Kelsey M - Dec. 5, 2024, 10:01 a.m.

Yum! This was so good! This will go in regular rotation now I'm sure


Phillipa - Nov. 16, 2024, 7:29 p.m.

I made these tonight and only had 200g of tempeh so I added in 100g of tofu. I then put them in the air fryer and the texture was perfect. They didn't fall apart at all. I removed them and put the mixed sauce in for 5 minutes. The overall taste was great and we will definitely do them again. I will increase the sauce quantity though so we have the option to add more.
The veggies are a great match for this dish.

PUL small logo PUL Team - Nov. 16, 2024, 7:53 p.m.

Love this! Using both tempeh and tofu sounds like such a great combo, and we’re so glad the air fryer worked out, Phillipa 🫶


Reid Wegrecki - Nov. 4, 2024, 2:53 a.m.

This was my and my husband's first time cooking tempeh and first time having it in general! We were pleasantly surprised; we found the texture of the meatballs to be pleasant, the sauce flavor (and amount) 10/10, and the combo of veggies and rice was wonderful!

Some advice for future PUL sous chefs: you just have to be very careful when handling the meatballs in the pan since they are a bit fragile and make sure the pan is NON stick! IE you may have some difficulty with an old cast iron pan, so stick with ceramic, stainless steel or whatever else that's definitely non stick :).

Reid Wegrecki - Nov. 4, 2024, 2:55 a.m.

PS we added our sauce on TOP of the meatballs rather than mixing in a bowl, etc. That way the meatballs didn't fall apart!

PUL small logo PUL Team - Nov. 4, 2024, 2:37 p.m.

We're so glad you both enjoyed your first tempeh experience, Reid! Sounds like you nailed the texture and flavour - 10/10 on the sauce is high praise 🙌 Thanks to your feedback we've added non-stick to the recipe instructions 🙂


Nour Dukmak - Oct. 29, 2024, 5:03 a.m.

Unfortunately, this recipe didn’t work for me. The ball’s did fall apart after I put them in the sauce, and even after I used the updated recipe, the sauce still felt a little low. It tasted fine, just not a favorite 😕


PUL team - Oct. 11, 2024, 9:54 a.m.

🌟 RECIPE UPDATE: We’ve increased the amount of sauce by 50% based on your suggestions! It seems like you all love it extra saucy, so we made sure there’s some extra sauce to enjoy with the rice and veggies. We hope this update makes the recipe even more delicious for you! 💛 xo, Sadia (11 Oct 2024)


Lieke - Oct. 9, 2024, 6:43 p.m.

The tempeh balls were really delicious! So flavorful! Next time though we would add some kind of sauce or something to put on the veggies. So I agree either other commenters about upping the sauce amount to drizzle over the veg!


Kari Brock - Oct. 1, 2024, 2:47 a.m.

Loved the sauce! My tempeh balls fell apart and were mush. It was a complete disaster. Followed the recipe exactly. I think I'll just stick to straight tempeh or just use tofu instead of trying to make the fancy ball next time. But the sauce made up for it! I agree with everyone else about making extra sauce.

PUL small logo PUL Team - Oct. 1, 2024, 2:08 p.m.

Sorry to hear about the tempeh balls, Kari! It sounds like the mixture might have been too wet or undermixed. In case it helps in the future, you could try adding a bit more breadcrumbs or pulsing the mixture less in the food processor to keep some texture. If you prefer, tofu is a great alternative too! So glad you loved the sauce in any case 🤗


Amanda - Sept. 26, 2024, 12:33 a.m.

I never thought of using tempeh like this, it was so good!


Karishma Marathe - Sept. 19, 2024, 6:12 a.m.

Great texture of tempeh in this recipe!
I’d also definitely up the sauce amount to make it SAUCYYYY but overall, loved this. I served it with noodles and it works just as well!


Alexandra Salahoru - Sept. 14, 2024, 2:35 p.m.

Very nice! Me and my boyfriend enjoyed this dish so much! The flavour from the sauce on the tempeh balls was balanced with the freshness of the vegetables. Will definetely do it again. By the way we used a meat alternative that we knew had not so much flavour to prepare the balls and oy was super delicious. Will Need to try It with the tempeh (which we love but didn't have today).

PUL small logo PUL Team - Sept. 15, 2024, 5:14 a.m.

So glad to hear you both enjoyed the dish, Alexandra! Using a different protein alternative sounds like a lovely twist. Happy cooking 🤗


JT - Sept. 11, 2024, 11 p.m.

Great recipe. Even my vegan skeptic partner liked the tempeh balls.

Loved the sauce. I’d make a bit more sauce next time so I could drizzle it over the rice or veggies as well.
The roasted sesame adds a nice touch.