Indonesian-inspired Tempeh Curry with Turmeric Coconut Rice

This colourful curry is creamy with coconut milk and rich in flavour. Originating from Indonesia, tempeh is made from fermented soya beans, making it similar to, but not the same as, tofu - tempeh has a nutty flavour and is firm in texture. It is a great source of protein. We love it!

This curry takes about 30 minutes to prep and 25 minutes of cooking time. And the leftovers are delicious the next day! Nourishing and full of flavour, tuck into this tempeh curry and let us know what you think!

Tempeh Curry with Turmeric Coconut Rice

Vegan | Serves 4

Prep time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 150g tempeh cut into slices
• Sunflower oil for frying

Marinade

• 2 tbsp shoyu
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tsp kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
• 1/2 tsp hot chilli sauce

Garlic Paste

• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 red chilli, chopped
• 2.5cm fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

Everything Else

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 8 cardamom pods, bruised
• Small piece cinnamon stick
• 400ml coconut milk
• 150ml water
• 150g carrots, sliced into matchsticks
• 125g baby sweetcorn, sliced lengthways
• 1 red or orange pepper, sliced
• 150g green beans, cut in half
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Salt and black pepper
• Handful fresh coriander, chopped
• 1 large red chilli, sliced

Method

1. Make up the marinade. Pour over the tempeh slices and leave to marinate for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure that the tempeh is evenly covered.
2. Blend the garlic, chilli and ginger in a mini food processor to a smooth paste or chop finely.
3. Heat the sunflower oil in a large saucepan, add the garlic paste and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the turmeric, whole cardamom pods and cinnamon stick and quickly stir-fry.
4. Add the coconut milk and water, stir well and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Add the carrots and simmer for 5 minutes, then add the sweetcorn, red or orange pepper and green beans and simmer until just tender.
6. Add the lemon juice and season to taste.
7. When the curry is ready fry the tempeh.
8. The tempeh should have absorbed most of the marinade. Drain off any remaining marinade, pat the tempeh dry with kitchen paper and fry in sunflower oil until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.
9. Top the curry with the tempeh slices, chopped coriander and sliced red chilli and serve with rice (recipe below).

Turmeric Coconut Rice

In Indonesia, Nasi Kuning is rice cooked with coconut milk and turmeric, which colours the rice a beautiful golden yellow.

Vegan, Gluten free | Serves 4

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 125g jasmine fragrant rice
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 lemon grass stalk, bruised
• 2 lime leaves
• 100ml coconut milk
• 100ml water

Method

1. Rinse the rice and put into a saucepan with all the other ingredients.
2. Bring to the boil, then cover with a lid and simmer on the lowest heat for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to stand covered for a further 5 minutes.
3. Fluff up the rice with a fork and serve steaming hot.

Tips

• Kecap Manis is a sweet soy sauce from Indonesia. You can buy it from oriental stores and in the specialist section of some supermarkets. If you can’t find any, mix 2 tablespoons of shoyu with 1 teaspoon of soft brown sugar.

Photo by Rob Wicks of Eat Pictures

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