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Szechwan Tempeh

Reprinted with permission from Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair (Sasquatch Books, 2008)

This is a favorite dish of mine that I use frequently to introduce my students to tempeh.  We usually serve it with a grain such as Quinoa, Mediterranean Quinoa, Sweet Rice Timbales, Saffron Buttered Millet or Soba Noodles.  MANGO LIME SALSA is the perfect sweet condiment for this savory vegetarian dish.  For more information about tempeh see The Cookus Cupboard: Beans and Soyfoods.

¼ cup coconut oil
1 8-ounce package tempeh, cut into 1/4" strips
2 tablespoons white miso
¼ - 1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons tamari or shoyu
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil or hot pepper oil
Garnish:
1 scallion, thinly sliced

Heat 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil in a 10-inch skillet.  Place half of the tempeh strips in the skillet and let them quick-fry, turning them so that both sides brown.  Remove fried tempeh onto a paper towel and repeat the process with the other half of the tempeh strips.  Let skillet cool.  This process is described in more detail in our Fried Tempeh video.

In a small bowl, mix miso and water together with a whisk until miso is dissolved.  Add tamari, mirin, vinegar, syrup and sesame oil to miso and whisk again. 

Place fried tempeh back in the skillet and turn heat to medium low.  Pour sauce over the tempeh and bring to a low simmer.  Sauce will begin to reduce and thicken. Once sauce becomes thick and glistening, garnish with scallion and serve immediately.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Makes 3 servings

8 Comments:

Julie Negrin
THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE ALL-TIME RECIPES FROM YOUR COOKBOOK, CYNTHIA. LOVE IT. BEEN COOKING IT FOR NEARLY 15 YEARS!
May 13, 2010, 1:11 pm

Yasmine Khattab
Hi Cynthia, Do you know what I can add instead of Mirin?
May 19, 2010, 3:17 pm

Cynthia Lair
Hi Yasmine, Sherry or sake can replace mirin.
May 19, 2010, 3:32 pm

Leah Niu
Love this recipe! Thank you so much, one question though: When do we add the rest of the 1/4th of the cup of coconut oil?
May 28, 2010, 5:15 pm

Cynthia Lair
Hi Leah, You use 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil to fry 1/2 of the strips and the remaining 2 tablespoons for the other half (4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup)
May 28, 2010, 10:11 pm

elizabeth shipley
For those who want to make their own tempeh: www.maketempeh.org
June 6, 2010, 4:06 pm

Rebecca Pouliot
How long does it take to reduce the sauce? The last few times we've made it, we gave up and ate it unreduced.
July 15, 2010, 8:37 pm

Cynthia Lair
Sounds like you have the heat too low. The sauce should be bubbling and you should see steam coming off the pan. The moisture evaporating thickens the sauce.
July 15, 2010, 8:48 pm

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