In Indonesian and Malay language; tahu or tauhu refers to 'tofu' and goreng indicates 'fried'. Tofu was originated from China and brought to Indonesian archipelago by Chinese immigrants to the region. Fried tofu cannot be claimed as a dish exclusively found in Malay cuisine or Indonesian cuisine since tofu and fried tofu are consumed extensively in Asian cultures, and has found its way into mainstream Western vegetarian diets. Tahu goreng is largely similar to the Japanese dishagedashi tofu where the latter is not spicy and uses fewer condiments, although both versions use generous servings of soy sauce.
Variations
Indonesia
Tahu goreng is a generic name for any type of fried tofu in Indonesia, it can be mildly fried or deep fried, plain or battered. In Indonesia, tahu goreng is usually eaten with sambal kecap a kind of sambal hot condiment made from kecap manis and chopped chili peppers and shallots. Some variant might uses peanut sauce with chili instead. Some variants are:
Tahu isi:, probably the most popular variant of tahu goreng in Indonesia, tofu filled with bean sprouts, carrots and sometimes minced meat is battered and deep fried. It is commonly found in gorengan vendors. Commonly eaten with cabai rawit.
Tahu sumedang: the name derived from Sumedang city, West Java. Pioneered by Tahu Bunkeng tofu store in Sumedang established by Chinese immigrants in 1917.
Tahu gejrot: fried tofu in hot sweet and sour thin sauce with shallots and chilies, originated from Cirebon city, West Java.
Tahu taoge: stir fried diced tofu with beansprouts.
Tahu campur:, with beef slices, vegetables, beansprouts, and noodles or rice vermicelli, served in thin broth. The dish is common in East Javan cities, such as Malang, Surabaya, and Lamongan.
Tahu gunting:, fried tofu in thick sweet and spicy peanut sauce, originated from Surabaya city, East Java.
Tahu telur:, with omelette, beansprout, peanuts, and lontongrice cake, served in thin sweet and sour soy sauce. Also originated from Surabaya city, East Java.
Tahu bulat or tahu bola also called bola-bola tahu : is a relatively new variant of fried tofu from Tasikmalaya. The tofu is mixed with seasoning and shaped in balls or rounded form, and later deep-fried in cooking oil.
Kupat tahu:, ketupat rice cake, beansprout, served in thick sweet and spicy peanut sauce, common throughout Java, however the most popular variant came from Kuningan, Magelang, Solo and Surabaya.
