What’s the best way to cook tempeh?
“People think of tempeh as a modern meat alternative, but it has ancient Javanese beginnings, where it was eaten as a source of protein when people couldn’t afford meat,” says Rahel Stephanie, founder of Spoons, an Indonesian supper club in London. And this nutty, umami-packed fermented soya bean cake is so much more than just a substitute ingredient: “It’s gorgeous,” Stephanie adds. “When people say they don’t like it, it’s because they aren’t cooking it right, the traditional Indonesian way.”
Happily, you can do just that in a multitude of ways, be it deep- or pan-fried, steamed, simmered, grilled, in a stir-fry or battered. “The more surface area that’s fried, the more umami and crunch you’ll get, which is what makes it so moreish,” says Lara Lee, author of A Splash of Soy. That’s why she’s so partial to tempeh rocks, a riff on an idea from Dutch-Indonesian food writer Vanja van der Leeden. Crumble tempeh into small pebbles, then fry in hot oil until browned, says Lee: “You can then add them to salads, rice bowls or congee, or use as a garnish for curries and soups.”
