Indonesian-Style Stir-Fried Red Chili Tofu with Peanuts

In Jakarta, at Warteg Gang Mangga, we loved the spicy, savory-sweet kering tempeh. Crisply fried nuggets of tempeh were tossed with bumbu dasar merah, a red spice paste made by pureeing aromatics, that was cooked to a thick, glaze-like sauce that coated the craggy bits. When we attempted to re-create the stir-fry at home, the quality of supermarket tempeh disappointed. So we shifted to tofu. Pressed to remove moisture, then cut into batons, coated with starch and fried, tofu makes a fantastic variation on the classic Indonesian dish. We also toss in peanuts for nuttiness and texture. Kecap manis is a type of sweet soy sauce with a deep savoriness and a syrupy, molasses-like consistency. If it is not available, make an approximation by stirring together 1 tablespoon each soy sauce, molasses and light brown sugar; use in place of the 2 tablespoons kecap manis added at the end of cooking.