Pepes Tempe & Button Mushrooms
A beautiful, traditional Indonesian steamed dish — nutty tempeh and tender button mushrooms combined with a rich blend of aromatic spices, wrapped in fragrant banana leaves, and steamed until tender and infused with wonderful flavour. The banana leaves lock in all the juices and aroma, creating a dish that is deeply savoury, perfectly spiced, and beautifully fragrant. This version is completely plant-based, free from fish, shrimp paste, eggs, or any animal ingredients, capturing every bit of authentic pepes taste and texture.
Shared by novi
Time
50 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
medium
🛒 Ingredients
- #Main Ingredients
- 250 g tempeh — cut into cubes or thick slices
- 150 g button mushrooms — cleaned, quartered or sliced
- 8–10 pieces banana leaves — softened over low heat, wiped clean
- Toothpicks — to secure the wraps
- #Spice Paste
- 6 shallots — peeled
- 4 cloves garlic — peeled
- 2 cm fresh turmeric (or 1 tsp ground turmeric)
- 2 cm fresh galangal
- 3–4 fresh red chillies — adjust to taste
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp sea salt — adjust to taste
- 1 tsp coconut sugar or cane sugar
- 2 tbsp water — for blending
- #Aromatics & Fresh Herbs
- 4 kaffir lime leaves — veins removed, finely sliced
- 2 stalks lemongrass — white part only, thinly sliced
- 1 large handful fresh basil or lemon basil
- 1 small tomato — thinly sliced
- 2 green chillies — sliced lengthwise (optional, extra heat)
👩🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare banana leaves: Briefly hold each leaf over low heat until soft and pliable. Wipe clean with a damp cloth. Cut into squares approx. 20×20 cm. Set aside.
- 2
Make spice paste: Place shallots, garlic, turmeric, galangal, red chillies, coriander, salt, sugar, and water into a blender or mortar. Grind until smooth and fragrant.
- 3
Combine filling: In a mixing bowl, combine tempeh cubes, button mushrooms, spice paste, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and most of the basil. Toss thoroughly until everything is evenly coated and well combined. Taste and adjust salt, sugar, or spice as desired.
- 4
Wrap the parcels: Lay a banana leaf square flat. Place a generous portion of the tempeh-mushroom mixture in the centre. Top with a few slices of tomato, extra basil, and a slice of green chilli if using. Fold the sides in, then roll tightly into a neat cylinder. Fold both ends underneath or secure with toothpicks.
- 5
Steam: Arrange the parcels in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover and steam for 25–30 minutes over medium heat. The banana leaves will darken and release their wonderful fragrance — this means it’s ready!
- 6
Serve: Carefully remove from the steamer. Serve warm, still wrapped — unwrap at the table to enjoy the full aroma and flavour. Delicious with steamed rice!