How to make Tempe

One of the famous food from java island is tempe,it is contain  protein and vitamin ,tempeh made by soybeans .we can get so many benefit from tempe because tempe contain of many heath ingredients  that will make benefit such as strengthen bones, help to ease menopause symptoms, reduce risk of coronary hearth disease and some cancers.the problem if we are living in other countries we cannot fine tempe in supermarket or store.I would like to teach you how to make tempe. 

The three important parameters in making Tempe are:

1. moist or water content
2. Tempe starter (ragi tempe) or inoculum Tempe
3. Incubating temperatures

Step 1: Cleaning and Soaking Soybeans

Clean the soybeans with clean water. Then soak the soybeans in water for 8 hours or over the night.

Step 2: Cracking the soybeans
 
After 8 hours or over the night, time to separate the soybeans from its skin. If you use whole soybeans you should split them by squeezing them with a kneading motion. Stir gently causing the hulls to rise to the surface, and then pour off water and hulls into a strainer. Add fresh water and repeat until most hulls are removed. Don't worry if a few hulls remain attached.

Step 3: Cooking the soybeans

Put the beans in a cooking pot with water over the soybeans and cook for 30 min. When it's cooking and foam gather, remove it with clean ladle.

Step 4: Drying the Soybeans

After 30 minutes, drain off the water and dry the soybeans by continue heating them in the pot on medium heat for a few minutes and until the beans are dry. Allow the soybeans to cool down to below 35°C.

Step 5: Cooling off the soybeans

Move the dry beans into some wide place (ex. tray pan for baking) to cool off, leave it for sometime. During this process, avoid touching the beans with hands, use clean tool instead.

Step 6: Inoculating the soybeans with Tempe starter

When the soybeans is already dry and cold (but not too cold, is better), sprinkle it with 1/4 teaspoon of Tempe starter. Mix with a clean spoon for about 1 minute to distribute the Tempe starter evenly. It's very important to mix the Tempe starter very well: it reduces the risk for spoilage and the fermentation will be faster.

Step 7: Incubating the beans

Take 3 plastic bags (I use plastic bag size 18 X 25 cm with sealed).Divide the soybeans in the two bags and seal them. Press them flat, making sure that the total thickness of the beans is max 3 cm. Then perforate them with holes at a distance of about 1 cm by using a clean satay skewer or a thick but sharp needle. A normal needle is too thin, you need a fat needle or small nail (about 0.6 mm in diameter).This will allow the mould to breathe.

Step 8: Storing the beans

Place the packed beans in an incubator at 30°C or at a warm place for about 36-48 hours which the Tempe fermentation takes place. I put them on the top of oven tray then store them on the top of my kitchen cupboard. The temperature in the house is about 28 C so I have to wrap the beans using a clean napkin/towel to make them warmer.Best temperature for Tempe is around 30 C. 

Step 9: Tempe is ready

After 36 hours the container should be filled completely with white mycelium and the entire contents can be lifted out as a whole piece. Now you can cook your Tempe for some delicious dishes...

Step 10: cook the Tempe

Tempe can be cooked in different ways. Simple way to enjoy it just marinates with salt and garlic then fried it.wow it very delicious......