CC Tamarind Tempeh with Noodles

While on holiday a few months ago, I sat on the floor of a bookstore in Orange and swooned over Alice Hart's Vegetarian.  It had gorgeous photos, quirky illustrations, and some interesting pieces of advice on making the basics.  Recently, I dived into the Fast section and made Tamarind tempeh with sesame noodles and shredded greens.

There are lots of dishes I would love to make out of this book, especially the Summer Minestrone.  I chose to try the tamarind tempeh because I have a jar of tamarind in the back of the fridge that is sorely neglected and I don't eat tempeh as much as I would like.  Plus the Cookbook Challenge theme for the fortnight was Asian. Win win win!

We had this on the evening after Geelong won the AFL Grand Final.  The dish is colourful enough to be a celebration dish.  Yet I chose it for another reason.  We had been eating pastry and cookies all day so I was craving vegetables.  You can use any vegetables here.  Quick cooking is best.  I have recently fallen in love with choy sum so that was a must. 

This is an amazing dish.  It is quite tart due to the tamarind.  But oh so good.  E even told me how much he loved the marinated tempeh!  If you are tempeh-shy I suggest this is a great way to try it.  To see what my Cookbook Challenge colleagues got up to go here.

Other delicious tempeh recipes on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
Gado Gado with Marmalade
Orange glazed tempeh
Tempeh and corn soup

Tamarind tempeh with veg and noodles
Adapted from Alice Hart's Vegetarian
Serves 4

225g packet of tempeh
2 tbsp tamarind paste
2 tbsp honey (I used maple syrup)
4 cm ginger, finely grated
2 tbsp soy sauce
450g hokkien noodles (ready to use packet)
2 tbsp oil (I used canola)
zest and juice of 1 orange
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 clove garlic
1 capsicum, chopped
kernels of 1 cob of corn
2 mushrooms, chopped
1 bunch of asparagus, chopped
1 bunch of choy sum
few drops of sesame oil
2 spring onions, sliced

Cut tempeh into bite size pieces.  Mix tamarind paste, honey (maple syrup), half the ginger and 1 tbsp soy sauce.  Mix with tempeh and marinate 10-30 minutes.  (Chop the vegies while it marinates.)

Pour boiling water over the noodles to loosen them up (mine come in a clump in the packet).

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frypan or wok until hot.  Tip marinated tempeh and any marinade into frypan.  Fry on a medium to high heat for about 5 minutes.  Turn tempeh over and fry another 5 minutes on the other side.  (The marinade is so black it is hard to see if it is burning but it tastes great if quite crispy.)  Remove tempeh from pan and set aside (in marinade container is fine).

Heat the rest of the oil (1 tbsp) and fry remaining half of ginger, garlic and chilli for 1-2 minutes over a low heat.  Add vegies and stir over a high heat for about 1 minute.  Add orange juice, 1 tbsp soy sauce, sesame oil and tempeh and turn up the heat.  Cook for a few minutes until veg is softened.  Stir through noodles until coated with sauce and warmed through.

Serve with spring onions scattered over the top (or stirred through at the end).

On the stereo:
Million Sellers: Peter Sellers

This post is part of Vegan Month of Food October 2011.  Go to my Vegan MoFo list for more Vegan MoFo posts.