A super easy sweet soy tempeh recipe that’s packed with so much flavor and is ready in less than 20 minutes! This tempeh recipe is delicious as a side dish or as a tempeh rice bowl. It’s the type of dish that’s great for meal preps and tastes even better as leftovers. The secret ingredient to this tempeh recipe is kecap manis, a traditional sweet and savory Indonesian soy sauce.
What is tempeh?
Tempeh (pronounced tem-peh or tem-pay) is a fermented soybean cake that can be found store-bought or homemade. It has a similar but stronger fermented taste to tofu, and tempeh recipes can often be interchangeable with extra firm tofu recipes. However, keep in mind that tempeh has a very different texture to tofu and can be more crumbly in texture. To be honest, the taste and texture of tempeh really varies between different store-bought brands and homemade cooks. The perfect tempeh is tender but firm to the touch and isn’t over crumbly when handled. Sometimes it can have a slight sour smell from the fermentation process.
Tempeh originates from Indonesia and is very popular in restaurants and everyday home cooking. In Indonesia, it’s often seen as a cheap and simple but healthy meal option. However, tempeh can be very expensive when bought at your local American grocery store, such as Whole Foods. Growing up, my mom made a tempeh dish almost every week. Whether deep fried and crispy or marinated and stir fried, tempeh was almost always on the menu at home. I have always loved tempeh’s unique fermented flavor and texture and enjoyed the different ways my mom cooked tempeh at home!
Where to buy tempeh
Most Indonesians in Indonesia buy their tempeh at the local pasar or market vendor. In the United States, tempeh can be found in your local market in refrigerated aisle next to the tofu or vegan section. Sometimes, you can also buy tempeh in the frozen aisle at your local Asian market.
However, to be honest, I think that the best tempeh is made by the local Indonesian auntie home cook. If you’re lucky you can sometimes find fresh tempeh sold in small Indonesian supermarkets or restaurants. I personally buy my tempeh fresh from a local Indonesian auntie who makes them homemade in small batches. Fermenting your own tempeh cake is very difficult to do. Perfecting it takes a lot of practice and is often a secret recipe and technique that is passed down in the family. I highly recommend the traditional, homemade Indonesian tempeh cake over the westernized versions sold in your local market. It might be worth asking your favorite Indonesian restaurant if they know of any aunties or homecooks who might be selling their homemade tempeh! How to cook tempeh
There are so many ways to cook tempeh. You can deep fry it, bake it, grill it, scramble it, or even add it into your smoothies. The list seriously goes on. However, the most common, traditionally Indonesian tempeh recipes involve deep frying or stir frying. The most important thing about cooking tempeh is to remember not to slice the tempeh cakes too thinly. Some tempeh can easily crumble apart. Unless you plan on serving it as a tempeh scramble, you should be gentle when handling and cutting the tempeh.
What you need for this sweet soy tempeh recipe
- 2 cups of tempeh (cut into bite-sized cubes)
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 stalks of green onion
- 1 large shallot
- small slice of ginger (about 1/2 inch size)
- 1 bay leaf
- optional: 2 red Thai chilis
- 1/4 cup kecap manis
- salt to taste
- vegetable oil (1/3 to 1/2 cup)
How to cook this sweet soy tempeh recipe
- Remove tempeh from packaging and cut into bite-sized cubes. Set aside.
- Thinly slice shallots and garlic. Cut green onions into 1 inch pieces. Slice Thai chilis. Set everything aside.
- Heat up 1/3 to 1/2 cup of oil in a large, deep pot. Once oil is hot, carefully add in tempeh and fry for about 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove tempeh from hot oil.
- Lower heat to low/medium. Add in garlic and shallots and stir fry until fragrant (about 2 minutes). Add in ginger, bay leaf, Thai chilis, and tempeh. Mix everything together.
- Add in 1/4 cup kecap manis, green onions, and sprinkle salt to taste. Stir fry for another 2-3 minutes until everything is mixed well and sauce has caramelized. Enjoy as a side dish or as a rice bowl.
Sweet Soy Tempeh Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups tempeh (cut into bite-sized cubes)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 stalks green onion
- 1 shallot (large)
- 1 slice ginger (about 1/2 inch size)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 Thai chili (optional)
- 1/4 cup kecap manis
- salt to taste
- 1/3- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Remove tempeh from packaging and cut into bite-sized cubes. Set aside.
- Thinly slice shallots and garlic. Cut green onions into 1 inch pieces. Slice Thai chilis. Set everything aside.
- Heat up 1/3 to 1/2 cup of oil in a large, deep pot. Once oil is hot, carefully add in tempeh and fry for about 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove tempeh from hot oil.
- Lower heat to low/medium. Add in garlic and shallots and stir fry until fragrant (about 2 minutes). Add in ginger, bay leaf, Thai chilis, and tempeh. Mix everything together.
- Add in 1/4 cup kecap manis, green onions, and sprinkle salt to taste. Stir fry for another 2-3 minutes until everything is mixed well and sauce has caramelized. Enjoy as a side dish or as a rice bowl.
Looking for an easy tofu recipe? Try my easy tofu stir fry or tofu with green beans. Both these tofu recipes are ready in less than 30 minutes!
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So easy, great weeknight meal 🙂
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