All About Tempeh

Tempeh is a highly nutritious fermented soy food that originated in Indonesia over 2000 years ago. It is made by cooking and de-hulling soybeans, infusing them with a culturing agent, and then incubating them overnight to form a solid cake. Tempeh has a distinctive, nutty taste, and is easy to prepare. It readily absorbs the flavor of sauces and marinades, making it a perfect addition to stir fries, scrambles, chili, spaghetti sauce, or used as a meat substitute.

High in protein and dietary fiber, tempeh is filling, satisfying, and has a substantial texture even tofu-haters and the staunchest meat-lovers are sure to enjoy! And like other soy proteins, tempeh may help lower LDL, or “bad” cholesterol levels, while increasing levels of HDL, or “good” cholesterol in the body.

Tempeh is also a great source of several vitamins and minerals, including riboflavin, magnesium, manganese and copper.

Choose organic to ensure your tempeh is GMO-free and made without the use of harmful pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.

Below you’ll find 7 of our favorite tempeh recipes. They are all nutritious, delicious, and highly recommended. Enjoy!

Tempeh in Spicy Onion Curry

Recipe by Richa Hingle: Blogger, Vegan Richa

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon Organic Canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vegan butter
• 2 Green chilies (Serrano, less or more by taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon Fenugreek seeds (methi)
• 1 teaspoon Coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon Pomegranate seeds (anardana, can be substituted with half teaspoon dry mango powder)
• 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
• 2 medium onions
• 1 inch Ginger piece chopped
• 1 Tablespoon fresh Mint leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Salt to taste (2/3 teaspoon)
• 1/2 teaspoon raw sugar or agave syrup
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 cup cubed Tempeh
• 1 teaspoon vegan butter (or oil)
• water

Preparation:

1. Chop 1 green chili and make thin slices of the other one. Chop the onions into rings. In a Pan, add 2 teaspoons oil and shallow fry/cook a third of the onion rings, 1 sliced green chili and a tablespoon of cilantro leaves and a few thin slices of red bell pepper(optional) on medium heat, for 3-4 minutes and then keep aside.
2. In the same pan, add the remaining oil, remaining onions, chopped green chili and the spices(coriander, cumin, fenugreek seeds and turmeric powder). Cook on medium heat with occasional stirring till the onions are golden.
3. Add in the ginger and mint leaves and cook for a minute.
4. Take off heat and Blend the onion mixture with a little lemon juice or water into a thick puree.
5. In the pan, add the butter, onion puree, salt and sugar to taste.
6. Add in the chopped tempeh and mix well to coat.  Cook covered for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally,  until the puree thickens and browns a bit.
7. Add in a cup of water and mix. Adjust for salt and spice and cook for another 5-10 minutes to get the desired consistency of the curry.
8. Serve hot topped with the fried onion rings, cilantro, green chili! Serve with any Indian Flat bread or basmati rice!

More tempeh recipes next…

Tempeh “Tuna” Salad

Pomegranate Sweet and Sour Tempeh

Gingery Maple Glazed Tempeh on Baby Greens

Tempeh Picatta

Mock Chicken Salad

Minced Tempeh Salad with Lemongrass, Sesame and Cashews

If you loved these recommendations, you can browse through even more recipe features here!

Do you have a tasty tempeh recipe you’d like to share? Send it in!