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Discover tumis bayam teri, a simple Indonesian stir-fried spinach with crispy anchovies and bold spices. A quick, nutritious, and flavorful everyday dish loved across Indonesia.
About the Dish
Tumis bayam teri is a humble yet deeply flavorful Indonesian home-cooked dish that brings together two everyday ingredients. Fresh spinach and crispy Medan anchovies in a way that is greater than the sum of its parts. Quick to prepare and best enjoyed straight from the wok, this dish is a staple side dish served alongside steamed white rice in households across Indonesia.
What makes it nutritionally interesting is the pairing itself: spinach is best consumed soon after cooking to preserve its vitamins and minerals, while teri medan, a small, sun-dried anchovy variety from North Sumatra is a naturally rich source of protein and calcium that is both affordable and widely available. The dish is also known for its flexibility; home cooks across different regions often add tempeh, corn, or egg depending on what is at hand, making tumis bayam teri one of the most adaptable and familiar recipes in the Indonesian kitchen.
Key Ingredients and Their Role
Three ingredients form the backbone of this dish.
- First, spinach (bayam) is briefly blanched before stir-frying, which softens the leaves while helping them hold their color and texture once combined with the spiced oil. As a rule, spinach-based dishes like this are best cooked and eaten on the same day for both flavor and nutrition.
- Second, Medan anchovies (teri medan) are fried separately until crisp and golden before being folded in at the end. This technique keeps them crunchy and prevents them from becoming soggy, while their natural saltiness seasons the dish without the need for excessive added salt.
- Third, a ground spice blend of shallots, garlic, and red and green chilies forms the aromatic, mildly spicy base of the stir-fry, cooked in the same oil used to fry the anchovies to capture every bit of their savory depth.
Ingredients
(Serves 3–4)
Main Ingredients
- 2 bunches spinach
- 100g Medan anchovies (teri medan)
- 2 cm galangal, bruised
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp seasoning powder
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ½ tbsp oyster sauce
- Cooking oil, as needed
Ground Spice Blend
- 5 shallots
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp small dried shrimp (udang rebon) or shrimp paste (optional)
- 5 red and green chilies
Instructions
- Pick the spinach leaves and young stems, then wash thoroughly. Blanch briefly in boiling water until just wilted. Drain and set aside.
- Grind the shallots, garlic, dried shrimp, and red and green chilies into a smooth paste.
- Heat oil in a wok and fry the Medan anchovies until dry and fragrant. Remove and drain. Reserve the oil in the wok.
- Using the remaining anchovy oil, sauté the ground spice blend until fully cooked and aromatic.
- Add the bruised galangal and stir to combine.
- Add the blanched spinach and season with salt, seasoning powder, sugar, and oyster sauce. Stir until everything is evenly coated.
- Add the fried anchovies and toss briefly until all ingredients come together.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately while warm.
Serving Suggestion
Tumis bayam teri is best served hot with steamed white rice as part of a simple Indonesian meal. It pairs well with fried tofu, tempeh, or a fried egg for a complete and balanced plate. For a heartier spread, serve it alongside a bowl of clear vegetable soup or light chicken broth. However you plate it, this dish is at its best eaten fresh. So. serve it straight from the wok.
Beyond the Kitchen
Tumis bayam teri is a perfect reflection of Indonesian everyday cooking: unpretentious, resourceful, and quietly delicious. Dishes like this one are woven into the daily rhythm of Indonesian life and understanding the language behind them opens up a whole new layer of connection to the culture.
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