Oncom Leunca Cabai Iris - fried spicy oncom with leunca

Ingredients

• 250 goncom (or tempeh)
• 4 clovesgarlic
• 5shallots
• 2 cmgalangal
• 2Indonesian bay leaves (daun salam)
• 1 stalklemongrass
• 2red chillies
• 1green chilli
• 3red bird’s eye chillies
• 50 gleunca (ranti)
• ½ teaspoonpalm sugar
• ½ teaspoonsalt
• 100 mlwater
• 2 sprigskemangi (lemon basil)
• 1spring onion
• 2 tablespoonsoil

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare ingredients

   Finely cut the oncom. Thinly slice the garlic and shallots, grate the galangal, remove the seeds from the chillies and cut them into strips. Cut the spring onion into pieces.

2. 2

   Fry the aromatics

   Heat the oil in a pan. Add the garlic, shallots, galangal, lemongrass and salam leaves, and fry for 4 minutes.

3. 3

   Soften the chillies

   Add the red and green chillies and the bird’s eye chillies. Fry until softened.

4. 4

   Cook the oncom

   Add the oncom, palm sugar, salt and leunca, and mix well. Pour in the water and cook until it has evaporated and the mixture is dry.

5. 5

   Finish and serve

   Stir in the kemangi leaves and spring onion, then serve.

What is oncom leunca?

Oncom is a fermented Indonesian food, especially associated with Sundanese cooking in West Java. In this dish, it is cooked with leunca, small berries also known as ranti, and a mix of fragrant aromatics and chillies.

This version works by balancing oncom’s savoury, earthy character with sharp alliums, warming galangal and fresh herbs added at the end.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 1750 calories, 0g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat.

Oncom or tempeh supplies most of the dish’s protein, while the oil provides most of its fat; the small amount of palm sugar and the aromatics contribute comparatively little carbohydrate. Serve it with rice and vegetables to make a more balanced plate, adjusting the rice portion to suit your appetite.

Choosing the ingredients

Oncom: Use it if available for the dish’s characteristic flavour. Tempeh is the suggested substitute; crumble or finely cut it as you would the oncom.

Leunca: These small berries bring a gentle bitter edge and a slight pop. If you cannot find them, the recipe does not specify a replacement, so leaving them out will change the dish.

Build the aromatic base

Alliums and galangal: Thinly slicing the garlic and shallots helps them cook evenly, while grated galangal disperses through the oil.

Lemongrass and salam: Add these with the sliced aromatics and give them the full 4 minutes in the pan so their fragrance infuses the oil.

Control the chilli heat

Chillies: The recipe uses red and green chillies as well as bird’s eye chillies, so expect a distinctly spicy result. Removing the seeds, as directed, tones down some of the heat while keeping the chilli flavour.

Softening: Fry the chillies until they soften before adding the oncom. Keep them moving so they cook without catching on the pan.

Cook until dry

Water: After adding the water, let the mixture cook until the liquid has evaporated. This leaves the oncom coated in the seasonings rather than watery.

Doneness: The recipe gives no fixed time for this stage, so use the pan as your guide: the mixture should look dry before you add the herbs and spring onion.

Finish with fresh herbs

Kemangi and spring onion: Add these after the liquid has cooked off, then stir them through just before serving so their fresh flavour remains noticeable.

Serve the stir-fry with rice for a simple meal. Plain rice is a useful accompaniment to the savoury, chilli-rich mixture.

Recipe notes & tips

• Prepare and slice all the aromatics before heating the pan, as the early frying stages follow one another quickly.
• Grate the galangal finely so it blends into the aromatic base.
• Remove the chilli seeds before cutting the chillies into strips, as directed.
• Keep the mixture moving while the chillies soften to reduce the chance of scorching.
• Wait for the water to evaporate before stirring in the kemangi and spring onion.

Variations

• Use tempeh: Substitute the oncom with tempeh as suggested in the recipe.
• Adjust the heat: Use fewer bird’s eye chillies for a milder version.
• Keep the seeds: Leave some chilli seeds in for a hotter stir-fry.
• Serve with rice: Add steamed rice on the side to make the dish a fuller meal.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Adding herbs too early: Stir in the kemangi and spring onion only after the water has cooked off.
• Stopping while watery: Continue cooking until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is dry.
• Burning the aromatics: Keep the pan moving as the garlic, shallots and galangal fry.
• Cutting the oncom too coarsely: Finely cut it so it mixes readily with the other ingredients.
• Overlooking the chilli heat: The bird’s eye chillies are potent; remove their seeds or use fewer for a milder result.

How to store

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container and use within 3 days. Reheat in a pan over a moderate heat until hot throughout; add a small splash of water if the mixture seems dry.

Frequently asked questions