Hey, what’s tempeh again?
A tender cube of Thai-curried tempeh sits nestled among tomatoes, wilted swiss chard, and coconut milk.
I had heard about tempeh over the years, particularly that it was a good alternative to tofu thanks to its firmer, heartier texture. Especially useful if you’re like me, and you’re not a huge tofu fan. I only like tofu when it’s deep-fried and thrown into Pad Thai, but short of that, I don’t care much for it. Tempeh is also a soy-based product, but has a completely different taste, which is nutty, has a nice bite to it, and seems to really absorb the flavors of any spices or herbs you add to it. Many vegetarians and vegans are big fans of tempeh. It’s a nice option for anyone, if you want something filling, but don’t necessarily want to eat meat, poultry, or fish.
Last summer when my sister Myna was visiting the Big Apple, we were in the grocery store and thought we’d buy this thing called ‘tempeh’ to see if we’d like it. We found a recipe online, bought all the ingredients, and gave it a go. We all really liked it! It’s the only tempeh recipe I have, so I’ll keep exploring.
Fast forward to today. Like, an hour ago. It was another “Crap! I have no time and we want a nice home cooked meal…”. I got home first on the jam-packed bus up Madison Avenue to Harlem. An impressively scary thunderstorm hit Manhattan around 4pm today so everything was extra wet and extra crowded. Sean was close behind me on the subway and we were both really hungry. I remembered I had dropped a package of tempeh in my grocery cart last week, so it was in my fridge. Of course, as luck would have it, we didn”t have much else in the fridge today. I didn’t even have onions. Most Indians who cook ALWAYS have onions, garlic, and ginger in the house. Always. See the recipe below…it worked actually, but I wasn’t sure until we sat down to eat it!
I just love Lundberg Family Farms rice blends, especially this one called Black Japonica. I just love looking at it too.
Thai-Inspired Red Potato, Tempeh, & Swiss Chard Stew (adapted slightly)
Ingredients
-
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8-oz package tempeh, cubed
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup red onion jam (which I picked up at Jamie Oliver’s shop in London and used because I didn’t have onions, but the recipe calls for 1/2 cup onion, chopped)
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons peeled ginger root, minced
- 2 teaspoons Thai Kitchen brand red curry paste
- A handful of small red potatoes, diced (skin on)
- 1 cup water
- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 13.5 oz can light coconut milk
- 2 cups coarsely chopped swiss chard
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 fresh lime, juiced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Preparation
- In a large pan over medium-high heat, brown tempeh in 1 T olive oil. Sprinkle with light soy sauce to season & remove from pan.
- Reduce heat to medium & add remaining 1 T of oil. Saute onions, garlic, ginger for several minutes. Add curry paste & stir well until smooth. Add water, tomatoes, red potatoes, and soy sauce. Cover & cook for about 20 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low & add coconut milk, swiss chard, salt, pepper, & tempeh. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, until thickened & swiss chard is wilted.
- Add cilatro & lime juice just before serving. Eat as a stew or serve over steamed brown rice like we did!
