This Indonesian staple food is trendy everywhere these days. It has a chunkier texture than its cousin tofu, and so works more naturally as a meat alternative. Tempeh is made from fermented soy beans packed into a cake.
The key to tasty tempeh is marinade, as it can be quite insipid and bland served plain. The best marinade I have found is more soy – soy sauce, which gives colour and adds a richer saltier flavour. For tempeh I find dark soy sauce best as the hearty texture easily absorbs the robust flavour that can overpower more delicate tofu’s. Below are some ideas for marinading and cooking this meat-free protein.
Many recipes and cookbooks advise to steam tempeh before cooking with it. Personally I never bother (just like I never salt aubergines or peel potatoes), but if you want to try it, put the tempeh blocks in a steamer for 15-20 mins before you cook with it.
- Tempeh Steaks: For a super simple “burger“ cut a tempeh block into steaks about 10-15mm thick, marinade with sesame oil and dark soy sauce for at least 15 mins, then grill on a hot plate for 5 mins each side or until fully browned. For a bit of spice add some chilli oil to the marinade. These steaks can be a little dry, so definitely serve with a gravy or sauce. Tempeh goes really well with sweet chilli sauce, dijon mustard, hummus, mayonnaise or any sauce or gravy that you would serve with a steak.
- Tempeh for Gado-Gado or Stir-fry: Tempeh is a great protein addition to stir fried vegetable dishes. For this I would cut the tempeh into 15mm cubes, marinate as above, and then shallow fry the cubes to get them a bit more crisp on the outsides. To make them sweeter and more glazed add some honey in the marinade. Gado-Gado is my favourite Indonesian dish and comprises a mixture of salad and vegetables with tempeh and tofu, covered with a sweet peanut sate-like sauce, and often served with a rice cake. If you live in Jakarta you can get blocks of gado-gado sauce mix in the supermarket.
- Tempeh Manis Kacang: This is an Indonesian side dish, and its meant to have peanuts in it, but works fine without them as well. I would serve this with stir fried veggies, or with fried leafy greens (spinach/kale/etc). First deep fry small sticks of tempeh, and set aside whilst you fry shallots with garlic & chilli (use coconut oil if you have it). Add dark soy sauce and glaze the shallot mix. Add a little vegetable stock and simmer gently, then add back the fried tempeh pieces (and deep fried or roasted peanuts if using). Continue to fry until the tempeh is glazed, then serve. (from the book: the Little Indonesian Cookbook, Heinz von Holzen)
I hope this has given you some ideas to start experimenting with tempeh as part of your diet. It is very simple to cook with and works well with any strong marinade.
Let me know if you come across any other delicious ways to cook with it, and I’d love to hear how you go.
Letter from Jakarta. 